By Frances Crusoe
A few months ago, I heard a radio interview with Jocelyn from the popular reality show Love and Hip Hop. I've never watched the show since I am not a fan of women being portrayed in such a negative light, but I have heard plenty of discussions about her from other people and social media. As she bragged about her recent fame, history of stripping and bartering herself for money, my heart ached for her. She is admired by so many women, but under the surface, it was obvious that she was still battling some of her own personal demons. She confirmed my thoughts when she made statements that have stuck with me to this day. Jocelyn admitted that she does regret some of the decisions she made as a young woman, like stripping and relying on men to fund her lavish lifestyle. She also mentioned that if she had someone to mentor her or show her that her body didn't have to be her meal ticket, her life would have been different. As the interview was wrapping up, Jocelyn made a heart felt plea for older women to start looking out for the younger generation.
Women, if we are honest with ourselves, we can admit that we have not done a very good job of looking out for the younger generation.
The bible is filled with some amazing stories of women who are still an influence in the lives of woman today. As they have encounters with Christ, women are shaking off the remnants of a life that sometimes mirrors that of the Proverbs 7 woman in attempts to live up to the expectations of the Proverbs 31 woman. So many have repented of their sins, accepted Jesus as their Savior, embraced a new spirit filled life, married the amazing man of God and had children that will be raised up as the next generation of Jesus lovers. For many, that's the extent of their Christian experience. They do a great job of keeping Christians saved, but often times neglect the very broken women they have been called to minister to.
As much love and praise as the Proverbs 31 woman receives, there is a woman of the Bible that does not receive nearly enough recognition though her instructions are in such a high demand in these modern days. She is the Titus 2 woman.
“These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.” Titus 2:4-6.
As busy as our lives are, it is so easy to forget that there was a time when we were new believers trying to figure out what it meant and looked like to be godly woman. There was a time when we still struggled with certain sins, still felt the sting of shame and guilt because of past mistakes and didn't always know how to receive God's love. We are all new creations in Christ but we should not forget that there are women in the world that are in the very places we once were. There are still plenty of Jocelyn’s, Real Housewives of Atlanta, strippers, and promiscuous women that need to be shown that there is a better life for them. There seems to be no shortage of Proverb 31 women, yet not enough Titus 2 woman who are willing to putting in the time and energy to mentor and train up other women to be godly wives and mothers.
I looked at various websites and books on what it means to be a Titus 2 woman. Often times, I was left with images of stay at home mothers who make their own clothes, grow their own food, and home school their children. There is nothing wrong with this type of lifestyle, but that's not a lifestyle that is appealing to the masses. The same principles outlined in the scriptures are still applicable to the many different lifestyles that woman live today.
Let us not get to busy or too saved that we forget that we were pulled out of our own destruction by the love and blood of Jesus Christ. Take the time to pour into young girls or even peers who may not be as mature in the faith as you are. At some point, a woman with the principles of Titus 2 sealed in her heart prayed for and encouraged us to continue down the path that lead to Christ. Pay it forward and be the same for another woman.
The bible is filled with some amazing stories of women who are still an influence in the lives of woman today. As they have encounters with Christ, women are shaking off the remnants of a life that sometimes mirrors that of the Proverbs 7 woman in attempts to live up to the expectations of the Proverbs 31 woman. So many have repented of their sins, accepted Jesus as their Savior, embraced a new spirit filled life, married the amazing man of God and had children that will be raised up as the next generation of Jesus lovers. For many, that's the extent of their Christian experience. They do a great job of keeping Christians saved, but often times neglect the very broken women they have been called to minister to.
As much love and praise as the Proverbs 31 woman receives, there is a woman of the Bible that does not receive nearly enough recognition though her instructions are in such a high demand in these modern days. She is the Titus 2 woman.
“These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.” Titus 2:4-6.
As busy as our lives are, it is so easy to forget that there was a time when we were new believers trying to figure out what it meant and looked like to be godly woman. There was a time when we still struggled with certain sins, still felt the sting of shame and guilt because of past mistakes and didn't always know how to receive God's love. We are all new creations in Christ but we should not forget that there are women in the world that are in the very places we once were. There are still plenty of Jocelyn’s, Real Housewives of Atlanta, strippers, and promiscuous women that need to be shown that there is a better life for them. There seems to be no shortage of Proverb 31 women, yet not enough Titus 2 woman who are willing to putting in the time and energy to mentor and train up other women to be godly wives and mothers.
I looked at various websites and books on what it means to be a Titus 2 woman. Often times, I was left with images of stay at home mothers who make their own clothes, grow their own food, and home school their children. There is nothing wrong with this type of lifestyle, but that's not a lifestyle that is appealing to the masses. The same principles outlined in the scriptures are still applicable to the many different lifestyles that woman live today.
Let us not get to busy or too saved that we forget that we were pulled out of our own destruction by the love and blood of Jesus Christ. Take the time to pour into young girls or even peers who may not be as mature in the faith as you are. At some point, a woman with the principles of Titus 2 sealed in her heart prayed for and encouraged us to continue down the path that lead to Christ. Pay it forward and be the same for another woman.
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