Titus 2: 3-5

I am going to go off course, for a moment, and write about this last Sunday's sermon. He was talking about the woman's roles in life and how Jesus saw her. The pastor started with Genesis 1 and 2 when man was created in Their own image and woman created from the man: the humans were created to establish the different - but equal - roles to establish the perfect norm, to reflect the God head. The man being the head and the woman, the Holy Spirit role, as comforter and helper.

He went on to talk about the five different seasons (roles in ministry and life) for the woman. If you are a man I am sure there is similar seasons. Check out Titus 2: 1-2 and 6-8. But for the woman, there is 5 seasons of life.

1. As a child, living in her parents home. Eph. 6: 1-2
    In this stage she is learning from her parents and viewing love and marriage.

2. A single woman, free of a husband or children. I Cor. 7
    Here she has time to learn to be a wife and a mother. She has freedom to prepare and study. Her time is her own, she can find a ministry and find a way to serve.

3. Married without children. I Cor. 7: 32-33
    Learning to be the helper and homemaker to your husband with time for ministry and work outside the home.

4. Married with children. This goes without saying...
    Your husband remains first but your children are the priority to teach them. Your example should be a godly, loving wife and mother.

5. My stage. Married or Widowed, children have left the home. Titus 2: 3-5
    My biggest contribution is to train the younger women in the way that they should go. Below is my verse:

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored."

I've messed up some of the other stages of life, but here in the final season, I can be on track and do God's will for my life. I still have to work, but I have young women who work under me that I can be an example for. I need to stop trying to be one of their peers, joining in with the gossip and whining; with much prayer, I want God to show me how to be an example to them, - and to my daughter -  to provide encouragement and a hope.