Adorn the Gospel

a’dorn – verb, to embellish, decorate, garnish, ornament, beautify, prettify

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled,pure,working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.                        Titus 2:3-5

We have a Titus 2 program in our church, Woman2Woman (W2W), and it is designed to encourage heart-level encouragement and relationship for women as they connect, older to younger.

Two common and frequent obstacles are voiced:

1. How do I find the time? 
2. I’m not ‘qualified’ to be a mentor…I still have my own ‘stuff’ to figure out! 

I’d like to consider these two hindrances because I think they hit home for almost every woman, if she were honest. Women who do participate do not do so because they have lots of free time AND have all their ‘stuff’ put together! The realities of time shortage and inadequacy are real, and they loom large!

Allow me to encourage and provoke thought; I do NOT intend to club you over the head with guilt or dutiful obligation in this. Instead, let’s consider two truths from God and see where they lead.

God gave the design in Titus 2 out of his goodness because He knows that the gain outweighs the investment.

We are all familiar with the cost-to-benefit ratio concept, we have felt and known the satisfaction of a goal completed, and we have reaped the benefit of a choice we were initially uncertain (or scared stiff) to embark upon. This relationship investment (by both younger & older) is one of those places where the value far outweighs the outlay.
The passage itself identifies the purpose for such a partnership: negatively – “that the word of God may not be reviled”, and positively (vs 10) that we may “adorn the doctrine of God”.
This consortium between older and younger blossoms into a gospel-sharing platform…as we spotlight a life lived to God’s praise in the in’s and out’s of our daily experiences.
This gospel display is stronger, truer, richer, and more likely because of the shared words and love of an older woman to a younger…according to this passage!

What gain! To adorn the wonder of the gospel? Isn’t that the heart cry of every true daughter of Christ…to make His work & way more beautiful & obvious?
When we understand what is at stake…truly at stake here…it reminds us this goes far beyond temporal concerns to offer eternal consideration.
This isn’t about how I’ll find time for or how much I’ll enjoy a 90 minute discussion with a woman I don’t know if I ‘ll ‘click’ with.
This is about the gospel of Christ. In my heart. In her life. And in all those who watch both our lives lived out.
This is about the glory of Christ’s name.

The imperfect, still-in-process and ongoing growth of every (older) woman is the best backdrop from which true spiritual mentorship can occur.

A younger woman doesn’t need a ‘perfect, got-it-all-figured-out’ example—who would be self-deceived, I might add—as this would be intimidating, discouraging, and unconnected from her own life.

Plus, it would be artificial.
Instead, she needs a transparent, vulnerable, honest woman who will demonstrate how God’s truth gives wisdom to prevent failing, but also grace and forgiveness when one does fall. She is to model—not perfection, but humility and truth.

A younger woman needs a woman seasoned in the practical stuff: weariness and fatigue, budget crunching strategies, bed-wetting and nightmares, learning to read struggles and how to respond to unfair words at school, teen age dating and electronic gadget wars.
The response to these (and a 1000 like scenarios) are not “magic bullet” I've-got-all-the-answers confidence, but instead learned processes of careful thought (logic, not emotion!), patience, prayer, and often a series of different tries.
A younger woman needs an older woman to instruct her that the most important thing…really and always…is not today’s urgent dilemma. Not problem solving, list accomplishing, boo-boo kissing or even family raising. Ultimately it is what God wants to accomplish in and through these things. It’s about Him.
(In kissing your child’s boo-boo, you model God’s love. Reveal a broken world that will bring pain… Don’t forget the bigger picture too !!)

An “older woman” –and we are all older to someone!—needs only the following:

1. A redeemed heart that loves God and wants to follow His truth
2. A heart that wants to love another—& will trust God to help her do so
3. A listening, patient ear to hear of another’s life and struggles
4. Transparent, honesty to reveal her own heart & life
5. Courage to point both of you to God’s truth and his call to obey it

May I encourage you?

Wherever you are in your life, seek out an older/younger woman and ask God to cause this relationship to enable both of you to better adorn the gospel!

Just like the wisdom of Titus 2:3-5 describes!