Psst . . . Did you do your homework last week? If you need a refresher, hop back to this post where I challenged you to:
- Read the book of Titus.
- Start reading a biography of someone with right thinking.
- Make a 1 Timothy 4:7 pact.
Now that we’ve got week one under our belt, we are moving on to learn how to become women of honor. What kind of old woman do you want to be?
Becoming an honorable woman is going to take practice.
That’s the big question found at the end of this week’s lesson in True Woman 201: Interior Design. We hope you are following along with us as we dig in to this study for our first ever summer book club. (If you’ve not yet started, there’s still time. Grab your copy here, or keep reading for the chance to win a copy). Since this is a blog for young women, that may feel like an odd question, but no matter how old (or young) you are, it’s worth considering. Here’s why . . .
Becoming a Woman of Honor
Titus 2:3 says that older women “are to be reverent in behavior.” Reverent is one of those big, church words you may not have given much thought to or aspired to become. I’m in the same boat, but this week’s study helped me swap out the word reverence for honor, meaning a reverent woman is someone who honors God. That still feels a little abstract and hard to grasp, but verses like these make me want to understand how to become a woman of reverence who honors God all the days of my life.
“That all may honor the son, just as they honor the father, whoever does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him” (John 5:23). “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy” (1 Peter 3:15). “My covenant with him was one of life and peace . . . it called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name” (Mal. 2:5).
God is worthy of honor and reverence. Because of who He is and what He’s done, our lives should declare, “God, I am in awe of you!” I loved these examples found in the study for what that looks like in real time. A reverent girl:
- Reads and obeys the Bible (Deut. 28:58).
- Ensures that nothing in her life is more important to her than the Lord (Josh. 24:14).
- Serves the Lord in sincerity and faithfulness (Josh. 24:14).
- Is careful about her decisions (2 Chron. 19:7).
- Accepts correction (Zeph. 3:7).
- Is not wise in her own eyes (Prov. 3:7).
- Turns away from evil (Prov. 3:7).
- Treats others with gentleness & kindness (Lev. 19:14).
- Has a mouth filled with praise for Jesus (Ps. 71:8).
- Honors God with her money (Prov. 3:9).
- Gives thanks often (Rom. 1:21).
- Welcomes others (Rom. 15:7).
- Glorifies God with her body (1 Cor. 6:20).
- Avoids slander (saying something to make others look bad) (Titus 2:3).
- Is not a slave to self-indulgence (Titus 2:3).
Practice, Practice, Practice
Why does Paul call “older” women to live reverent lives that honor God? Shouldn’t that be something we all try to do, whether we are 10 or 110? The short answer is, “Yes, of course!” All women (and men) should seek to honor God with their lives. But take a look at that list again. It’s a pretty long and tough list of do's and don’ts. Becoming a woman who lives like that is going to take practice. We likely won’t have it mastered in the young years, but if we keep working to live lives that honor God, by His grace we may get closer and closer as we age. True Woman 201 author Nancy Leigh DeMoss said it this way:
“Sadly, most women drift through life. Days become weeks become months become years become decades and become a lifetime. If you are not intentional about becoming more spiritually mature, godly, gracious, and reverent, you will likely become more narrow, bitter, whiny, crusty, and petty as you age. Now is the right time to ask, ‘What kind of old woman do I want to be?’”
Which brings us back where we started. What kind of old woman do you want to be? Which traits on the list above do you need God’s help to practice so that you can honor Him better?