God’s Call to Women: A Mentoring Relationship

One of my desires as a young Christian woman was to have an older woman in my church mentor me. But rather than seek out the older woman, I grumbled about how the church didn’t have a mentoring “program” in place. So, while I failed to see my responsibility in seeking out the older woman, was there an older woman who should have been looking for me?

In Titus 2:3-5, Titus gives instructions to the older woman.

³ Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Titus 2:3-5

Pay attention to the expectations of older women:

• They should be reverent in the way they live.
• Older women should not be slanderers or addicted to much wine.
• Older women should teach what is good.

The result of the older women following their instructions is “Then the older women can urge the younger women to”:

• Love their husbands and children.
• Be self-controlled and pure.
• Be busy at home.
• Be kind.
• Be subject to the husbands.

And the purpose: “so that no one will malign the word of God.”

God is clear in His Word what the expectations are for older women and their relationship with younger women. In today’s language, we would call this a “mentoring relationship.” And while the instructions are for the older woman to obey, they must have someone to mentor! Younger women aren’t off the hook!

Are you engaged in a mentoring relationship?

I love how God lays out his guidelines through Titus so clearly. We don’t have to question what He desires of women. And, we don’t have to wonder what we should be doing with the time we have available on this earth.

God’s heart is discovered in his desire for women to care for one another.

 Are you the older woman who desires to carry out God’s command to pour your wisdom into a younger woman? Are your eyes open to notice the younger woman needing your time and heart? Or are you the younger woman who needs to seek out and sit at the feet of a Godly older woman and listen?

 How will you initiate a mentoring relationship? The world and its ways scream for our attention and compliance. But as faithful women of God, our allegiance should stand firm with God’s Kingdom values, and we desperately need someone to stand with us. So, pray for God to show you someone who, together, you can discover God’s heart.

© 2021 Robin R King

 

 

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