True Woman - Training our Daughters

Training Our Daughters

Learn how to train the next generation of women to have modest hearts as they grow up in an increasingly permissive world.*

• Modesty is, first and foremost, a heart issue. Don’t expect this world to teach your children how to be modest in heart, behavior, and dress. That’s your job as a parent.
• One of the killers of the faith of Christian young people is that they do not see that their parents’ faith has joy in it. Your kids will most likely reject your religion if it is a joyless religion.
• Make sure you are setting an example of loving and obeying God. When you fail, be humble enough to say, “I was wrong. Would you please forgive me?”

I have time today to do my devotions! YEAH!!! :) the buggy is still sleeping and the house is quiet. :) so.. okay, let's hop to it shall we? :)

So Nancy Leigh DeMoss is now taking us into Titus 2, and she starts off with an email teaser about the importance of training our daughters. Let's read what Titus 2 has to say.

¹But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. ²Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ submissive to their own husbands,to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and that the word of God may not be reviled. ⁶Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. ⁷Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, ⁸and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. ⁹ Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹²training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

¹⁵Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

My guess is that she'll be focusing on the bold verses where we read:

³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ submissive to their own husbands,to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and that the word of God may not be reviled.

Nancy, in her address here, points out this:

Titus chapter 2 gives us a mandate for our lives as women; whether we’re younger or older, we’re told that we have a training role as older women and a learning role as younger women. All of us are older women to someone, and all of us are younger women to someone. So we both need to be teachers and learners.

Teaching and learning is a life long thing isn't it?

I know that in my life I have very much benefited from the advise and example of older women. How do I live out my faith when I'm feeling testy, how do I live out my faith when my hubby/son/co-workers drive me mad? What does it mean to be loving and kind when life makes you want to scream? What does it mean to be moderate, and forgiving, and busy about the house and wanting to learn more of God and so forth. Older women can help! And in today's passage we find that we are indeed mandated to help!

But when you think about it....isn't that what family is supposed to do? Isn't that as believers what we're supposed to do? We're supposed to be wanting to be more like God and less like the sinful people that we are. Look at how God helps us! He wrote down his word through a variety of people, he sent his son to die for us so that we can have relationship with him, he put the holy spirit within us to help guide our actions and stir our consciences and when we cry out to help he helps us. Yes, he also disciplines and corrects and gives us a timely "bonk on the head" when we need it. So shouldn't we follow his example?

Let us teach each other, let us be willing to learn from each other.
Teach what is God.
Teach those young women how to love their hubbies and children.
Teach them how to be submissive to their hubbies (yes, in today's culture that can be difficult).
Teach them to be self-controlled, pure, home-workers, kind and how not to revile God's word.

Easy tasks?
No.
Necessary tasks?
Yes.

Nancy, in her address, goes on to talk about how we need to model in practical ways that God is the most important aspect of our lives, that living with God brings joy and contentment to us, that bringing God glory is what we live for. If we truly live that way, our children will be more apt to follow in Christ's steps. That way living for God and bringing him glory simply becomes a solid way of life.

Let's step up to the plate shall we ladies?