The status of women is no longer merely a cultural but also a religious focal point. The church has a problem with talking about women’s discipleship.
A church can tell if it is flourishing by the quality of its discipleship program.
Relationships are important, but intentional discipleship also builds on those by addressing aspects of spiritual health that cannot be covered in a sermon. In order to develop spiritually, this is crucial. Because of its critical nature, Matthew 28 includes instruction as part of the Great Commission:
“Therefore, I say to you, go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation; baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
Woman-to-woman discipleship is crucial to the Body of Christ. It is vital to the health of a female believers in their walk.
Men cannot speak into the lives of a woman in the way another woman can.
Paul’s Message
Titus 2 serves as a template for Christian mentoring relationships between female church members. Paul is writing to Titus on the island of Crete, where he left him to oversee the establishment of the church and provide for its needs. The state of the church and the responsibilities of its leaders take up a significant portion of the letter.
By instructing Titus on how to instruct and appoint church leaders, Paul was probably either addressing problems within the church or preparing the church for the future.
Specifically for women, Titus 2 contains discipleship guidance. It’s illustrative of the church’s cycle of discipleship, I suppose.
While the passage as a whole is addressed to both sexes, it is clear that women are given a unique directive.
“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Men of a certain age are expected to maintain a level head and act with honour and restraint, as well as to be steadfast in their beliefs and their relationships with others. Similarly, older women should act with reverence and not be slanderous or alcoholic slaves. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God may not be reviled.” Titus 2:1-5
There’s a certain way of behaving that older women should have if they’re going to teach the younger generation.
Women who successfully mentor other women set a good example in terms of reverence in their daily lives. As a woman, she should strive to be as holy as God is. I often say that she must be a role model for other women because she must do what she says. Older women are to live out the example of spiritual maturity.
Not malicious rumour-spreaders despite the stereotype that women, in general, are the source of all negative rumours. Our prayers and words are important to God. The words we use to describe other people have significant consequences. Like I said before, women who want to disciple should set the standard. They ought to speak with the same degree of respect as they show in their actions.
Not slaves to much wine – Your actions will reflect how much of a slave you are to wine. In order to protect our souls from falling into sin, we must refrain from engaging in activities that could lead to a loss of composure.
To impart knowledge that benefits others — Both sexes are tasked with spreading truth through the teaching of the Bible and other authoritative texts, and demonstrating how these teachings relate to the good news of the gospel. If they do not know what is good, they cannot pass that knowledge on to others. Older women should be trained to disciple younger women. I refer to this as the discipleship “life cycle.” Women pass on their knowledge to younger generations by mentoring them. Women continue to age in place, so younger women will eventually become older women.
What Are Older Women to Teach?
What exactly are older women called to teach younger women? We understand that they are tasked with imparting wisdom and truth, but there are some topics on which only a fellow female can truly speak:
For the sake of loving their husbands – Wise, seasoned wives of yesteryear can offer advice on navigating the pitfalls of wedded bliss. They have the ability to both uplift and correct. Matrimonial advice is something for which older women are a good resource. This does not imply that 50-year marriage is required. My sixteen years of marriage make me an old lady in the eyes of a young bride. (There will always be a woman younger than you).
To love their children – This could look twofold. While older women should encourage younger women to love and care for their young ones at home, they should be encouraged to disciple their children. The people closest to our hearts should be the first to receive our efforts at discipleship. In the lives of their children, mothers stand as the first line of defence against falsehood.
Achieve and maintain composure – Learning to exercise restraint is a skill that develops over time. It is one that we often must be reminded of daily. Young women learn self-control by facing down their own egocentric desires and learning to adapt to setbacks. Older women can help be a constant reminder of what really matters in our day-to-day lives as believers.
Being pure entails that we uphold ideals of chastity and holiness as women. One of the main things we should be doing as believers is pursuing holiness. Holiness is a daily practice of being as holy as God is, and we are to encourage one another in this pursuit.
Home-based jobs – Scriptural evidence abounds that women are meant to take on the role of household manager. Typically, women are the ones to manage the household, delegate responsibilities, and set the tone for their families’ emotional well-being. Women should be encouraged to accept their roles as primary caregivers with dignity and pride rather than feeling resentment or anger toward this responsibility.
All Christians, not just women, should exhibit kindness.
Women should submit to their own husbands in order to – The very word “submission” is unpleasant. On the other hand, wives are expected to submit to their husbands. They are not to put up with mistreatment or be treated like inferiors. Just as a wife is expected to follow her husband’s lead, so too must a husband follow the Lord’s. In the case of discipleship, older women can instruct in what submission is and is not. Older women can also be the first line of defence in abuse that may be taking place within the home.
The end result ensures that the Word of God is not “reviled.” According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word reviled means to criticize, abuse, or angrily insult. Proper discipleship leads to a proper attitude towards God’s Word. It guards its followers against falling into sin and instructs them in the ways of righteousness.
This is written so that we may learn about God and give Him glory.
