Older Women Likewise

Where have all the older women gone? I need you. We need you. Yes, you--the ones who have served Christ throughout your life, lived long, experienced much, loved your husbands, taught your children. We need you.

"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." (Titus 2:3-5 nasb)

I have found that in our current Christian (home discipleship) culture, the beginning of this verse reads more like "Middle-aged women, likewise..." We've lost a generation of Godly, older women to encourage us, yes even us middle-aged women. And trust me, these brave women of "middle age" are striving ahead, writing, teaching, encouraging us to love our husbands and our children, and the rest of these verses. Even I myself am in that category, and have spoken and written a time or two on this topic! At a recent mother-daughter weekend, this evidence is borne out:



I praise the Lord that so many women came to this event to be encouraged, and to learn how to be better husband- and children-lovers, and keepers at home. But my lament is for the older women. I've had none in my own life, no feet to sit at and learn, no tea to sip while listening. Even in our small church--which is filled with Godly women and families by which to learn--the oldest women are just a few years older than I.

I suspect that the American culture has infiltrated the church so far as to separate these Godly women from the very ones among whom they are to be living examples. Where have they gone?? They seem to live in senior housing, nursing homes, even entire "seniors-only" communities! They attend church and take part in senior groups, senior hymn sings, senior shopping trips, and senior outings to Branson, Missouri.

So, in this absence, I pray that God would keep the hearts of those of us in this middle-aged period of life. I pray that He would raise us up as a faithful generation, and show us how to live as older women true to His Word.