Anyways, we continue with 1 Timothy 5 today.
3Honor widows who are truly widows. 4But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.Have to admit, haven't really thought about the difference between widows and true widows. A true widow is a woman who has no one left to her. No husband, no children. These women need to be cared for.
But the widows who have children...the children need to care for them. In this way they (the children) show godliness toward their own households. If they refuse to care for their parents, then one would need to question their faith commitments. If you refuse to take care of your physical family you are denying your faith, and Paul says, you are worse then an unbeliever. (probably because you aught to know better!).
Does that mean that widows with children can be ignored by the church? Of course not, but if they have children, their children should be encouraged to step up to the plate, to help out their family members. As a body of believers in Christ we should look after the widows among us, making sure that they are okay, just as we would for anyone else in the church.
Widows who are left all alone can set all their hope on God, and be faithful prayer warriors. Those who focus only on themselves are dead already... they have no hope.
Wow..you know I read those words and I think of some older folks I know who say they are too old and too tired to do anything and that therefore there is no reason to put forth any effort...and I always think to myself, you are never too old and too tired to do anything. Look at the example here....these single widows who are focused on their hope in God and what they do is PRAY.
I don't care how old you are, what I want to know is what do you do with your faith?
It doesn't matter if you are single with no children, where is your hope? And if your hope is on God, then pray. You can always pray. Prayer can move mountains. You never know what can happen if you are faithful in prayer.
Care for your widows. (and widowers I think by reference).
And widows.. pray...show where your hope lies.
2 comments:
Just a note here:
"Care for your widows. (and widowers I think by reference)."
Actually, widowers (being male) were expected to take care of themselves. They were the workers, the wage earners, the ones that take care of things. Widows, on the other hand, up until the end of the 20th century, were in dire straits when their husbands passed away. They needed care.
Widowers need spiritual and emotional support, but I'm not entirely sure that Paul had them in mind when he told Timothy to take care of the widows.
Stan, thank you,
Widowers, yes, should physically care for themselves, My intent was to say that they should not be ignored simply because they are men and therefore able to care for themselves, and that caring for our parents (both parents) is spoken of elsewhere in scripture.
BUT here you are correct, Paul is talking about widows alone and the fact that we should care for them.
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