Older Women to Younger Women
I know some of the younger women are so tired of hearing it! “Older women are to…train the younger women…” (Titus 2:3-4). It’s true because we read it in the inspired word of God. It is also true that some of the older women are tired of hearing it too! It’s a huge responsibility to take on teaching those who are younger than you. I have watched and dealt with this conflict for many of my years as a Bible class teacher for teen girls and ladies. Somewhere along the line a disconnect has occurred.
Let me share some of my thoughts on this topic:
- While we usually go to the Titus passage on this topic, it isn’t the only example we have in the Bible. Proverbs 31 is an excellent passage to study deeply for an example of how a woman should care for her household. Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5-6 also give us some guidelines as to how women should behave in the marriage relationship and interaction with their children.
- “Older women” shouldn’t automatically make you think of someone sixty or above! All of us are older than someone, so should we not be setting an example for those women or girls who are younger than we are? When teaching my teenage girls’ class, I try to always remind them that we have little girls who are looking up to them. They want to be like them. Hopefully, they get the point that their example is very important.
- The secular world has put a divide between those who are older and those who are younger. One particular ad (and I can’t even remember what they are advertising) shows a man trying to teach younger people how to avoid becoming like their parents. Advertising very often makes an appeal to those who are younger in age. The technology in cars and phones and many other devices are usually advertised using young people while those of us who are older are shown looking like idiots who don’t know how to use the technology. 1 Kings 12 gives an excellent example of this “divide” when Rehoboam listened to the young men and rejected what the older men had to say. The result was a divided kingdom.
- There is no place in the Bible that says that older women can’t learn anything from younger women. I think of women like Abigail, Esther, and Mary. These were younger women who taught wonderful lessons from which we all can learn. I have heard comments made by younger women in Bible classes that have helped me understand the scriptures better from their perspective.
- How we view the word “teach” or “train” may be the key. Should we formally teach them when asked to do so? Yes! Teach them with love. However, we teach them every time they see us. How we look, act, respond to, and display the kind of woman God wants us to be is also teaching them lessons. Don’t avoid the young women in your congregation; instead, interact with them – no matter what. They may not act like it now, but they will come to know you care about them.
- My overall thought on this is that we should all, no matter what age, learn to love and respect one another and listen to one another. When we care for the souls of our sisters in Christ as we should, there should not be a problem with older women teaching younger women.
A wonderful song written by Charles Brown, seems to be an appropriate ending for this post.
A common love for each other, a common gift to the Savior,
A common bond holding us to the Lord;
A common strength when were weary, a common hope for tomorrow,
A common joy in the truth of God’s Word.
AUTHOR: Donna Faughn