STRONG FAMILIES NEED GODLY WOMEN

Now that we have talked about families needing godly men I have the dangerous job of talking about how families needing godly women. Ha!

Just as families need men to step up and be the godly leaders that they have been called to be, one of the greatest needs in our world and country and especially in the church is for godly women to be what God has called them to be in their families.

Godly women, not just moms: as we start to talk about godly women in the home how many of you automatically thought that this was about mothers only? Be honest.

Mothers are definitely included but not the only godly women in our families. We need godly mothers, grandmothers, godly sisters and daughters as well. Every godly women has a huge influence on their families.

How many big sisters are here? You have a huge influence in the lives of your siblings. How many little sisters? You have a influence in your siblings lives. Each one of you has...

Whatever role that you are in whether mother, daughter, sister or even cousin your family needs you to be and Christ desires for you to live a godly life close to Christ. Being close to Christ should be what you want.

THE CHALLENGE FOR YOU I KNOW IS THAT WHAT GOD SAYS WE NEED TO BE AND WHAT CULTURE SAYS YOU NEED TO BE IN LIFE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

Culture says that beauty and success and financial security are most important. Culture says outer beauty is what’s important. God says inner beauty, true beauty is what is most important and He defines what that is.

When Meghan and I were dating I told her something that is still true today and even more so. You might think it sounds kind of cheesy but it is actually really good. I would tell her that she is so beautiful on the outside but even more beautiful on in the inside. Pretty good right and every bit of it true!

When Meghan and I were dating I told her something that is still true today and even more so. You might think it sounds kind of cheesy but it is actually really good. I would tell her that she is so beautiful on the outside but even more beautiful on in the inside. Pretty good right.

While our culture and man in general is most concerned with the outside and appearances, God is concerned with our heart and how we look on the inside.

God’s vision of beauty is much different and because it is His, we can know that it is how we can have true beauty. Notice what says about beauty.

Notice what says about beauty.

i. A gentle and quiet spirit; “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.”

1 Peter 3:3–4 ESV

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

1 Peter 3:3-4

This is the kind of beauty that our families need; the beauty of godly women who are more concerned with their inner beauty than what people see on the outside. We need men and women who are more concerned with what God thinks about how they are doing spiritually than what others think they are doing physically or financially or relationally or otherwise.

EXAMPLE OF HOW POWERFUL A GODLY WOMAN CAN BE IN A FAMILY: There are one example that I want to point to that demonstrates what God can do in a family when the women in it are godly. That example is Timothy’s mother and grandmother.

When you have a mother or grandmother or sister who has Christ in her life and is willing to teach and be an example of the truth great things can happen and our families can touch eternity as Timothy’s mother and grandmother did through raising him up as a faithful follower and teacher of the truth.

When you look at Paul’s statement concerning how Timothy learned the truth, his father is nowhere to be found as far as being mentioned. His mother Eunich and grandmother Lois are the ones who taught Timothy the truth and influenced him. Look at

2 Timothy 1:5 ESV

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

When you have a mother or grandmother or sister who has Christ in her life and is willing to teach and be an example of the truth great things can happen and our families can touch eternity as Timothy’s mother and grandmother did through raising him up as a faithful follower and teacher of the truth.

It is great when there is a godly father and godly mother in the family and they work as a team but if the team is just you and God; the difference you make as a woman of God is great because God is working with you. Whether you are a mother, single mother, grandmother, big sister, little sister, you family will be impacted in a huge way if you are living your life for God.

Deuteronomy 6:2 ESV

that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.

TRANS: Up until this point we have been assuming we know what a godly women is and there is a lot that could be said about that…(more than can be mentioned in this lesson…) But for a minute let’s talk about a few characteristic of godly women.

Or if the team is just you and God; the difference you make as a woman of God whether it is a mother, single mother, grandmother, big sister, little sister will be great if you are living your life for God.

GODLY WOMEN ARE FOCUSED ON CHRIST AND THEIR FAMILIES

Proverbs 14:1 ESV

The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.

Proverbs

We really have to go against the grain of culture and believe what scripture says and implies regarding what we should see is important. Our culture says that the wise and most successful of women builds her status, builds her possessions or builds her career or her own fulfillment.

While things like career and having possessions are not evil in and of themselves when they are placed over the spiritual success of our families something is wrong.

GIVE US THIS TRUTH IN THE BACKGROUND PRINCIPLE OF THE VERSES;

Titus 2:3–4 ESV

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,

This verse has always been interesting to me because I have thought many times after reading it that husbands and children must be hard to love sometimes if you have to have someone train you how to do it. HA!

Or you could say that if your husbands or children are being difficult and hard to love don’t worry that’s normal. HA! (Sorry another bad joke.)

The principle here though is that God is very concerned with women loving their families. He is so concerned that He instructs the older women to help the younger to be focused on their families.

OUR GREATEST FOCUS NEEDS TO BE ON OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.

We want to give our children the best we can but what we should want to give them more than anything else is a relationship with Christ.

Everyone has to make their own commitment to Christ and obey the gospel to have a relationship with Him.

It is hard for us to teach them how important a relationship with Christ is if we do not have much of one ourselves. We cannot give them something we do not have ourselves.

If we are too busy to grow in our relationship with Christ then we will not be able to help our families be faithful to God. And our families see what we spend our time and effort on.

We really need to get past the cultural lie that fulfillment and validation comes through how much we have or how much we do (how busy we are) or how our lives look on the outside or how they compare to everyone else on social media.

MARY, NOT MARTHA is a great example;Jesus came to visit Mary and Martha and Martha was mad at Mary for just sitting around listening to Jesus teach. Martha was trying to serve Jesus but Mary was listening to the truth. Jesus’ response to Martha is powerful and something we all can learn from.

Luke 10:39–42 ESV

And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus came to visit Mary and Martha and Martha was mad at Mary for just sitting around listening to Jesus teach. Martha was trying to serve Jesus but Mary was listening to the truth.

Luke 10:

Luke 10:38–42 ESV

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

2. Jesus told her, “but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (ESV)

Luke 10:41–42 ESV

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

It was hard for her to see what was important and it is hard to prioritize our lives. It is undeniable that we have so much to do. But even the good things like serving can get in the way of our relationship with Christ.

No matter what we get done or accomplish if we are not growing in our relationship with Christ and helping our family do so we have failed.

We have the choice to be Mary or Martha every day. We can let the important things of our daily lives push out what Christ called the necessary thing; spending time with Christ and growing closer to Him.

1. And whether we realize it or not we are giving the example if either Martha or Mary to our children.

2. Sometimes we need to ask ourselves, “What is my relationship with Christ like?” If others in my family had the depth of relationship I do would they be healthy spiritually?

3. If my loved ones had the same habits in daily life would they be any closer to Christ?

If we do not abide in Christ we cannot bear fruit. That is true in our lives and in our homes.

John 15:5 ESV

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15

What a blessing for your family members to hear the word of God coming from your mouths and see you studying daily. It is a great encouragement to know my spouse is giving time to God’s word and prayer and helping our children to see life through the eyes of faith.

Whether you are talking about husbands, wives, sons or daughter one of the greatest things that we can do for our family is to have faith in God and pray.

1. (ill: What a blessing it is to know that my spouse is praying for me. What a way to face the blessings, difficulties and future challenges of the family.)

2. Whether we are thanking God for what blessing he has given to our families or we are placing our hardships and fears in His hands prayer is the way to have God in our loves handling it for us.

3. When we do this we remind each member or teach each other how to handle life.

- This is true for each member but some of the greatest examples of prayer in scripture are of women.

B. Hannah is the first one that I think of. She was barren and desperately wanted a child so she faithfully prayed to God promising that she would give Him to God.

1. Read; , , have you ever prayed this hard before? I doubt you have ever been accused of being drunk but perhaps…

2. Her prayer was answered and her son became one of the greatest leaders that Israel ever had.

3. Besides all this she is now one of the greatest examples of prayer in faith. She prayed and then was not sad anymore, even though her prayer was not answered yet.

C. What difference would you make in your family if your prayer life was better?

1. What problems would be overcome because they were given to God?

2. What example would we leave for others as someone who prayed like the NT teaches Christ’s followers; for everything and always…with all your cares…

3. What do our families need that you could pray for? I can pray for the future of my child…for their future families…I can pray that they find good influences, that they fall in love with God and the truth of His word to guide them.

A. Paul says a few things about what should be a part of the godly woman’s life.

1. “ likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self- control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.” (ESV)

2. How much time do we spend adorning our lives with good works? We could joke about how husbands have to wait because they are waiting for their wives to get ready.

3. Have you ever knows someone like this? Someone who was so kind and caring that even though they weren’t the most outwardly attractive person they had the most beautiful heart.

- (ill: People do so much to preserve outer beauty when beauty that lasts doesn’t fade as we get older…)

- (There are those in the Old Testament who were beautiful and then in the NT their works that showed them to be beautiful)

B. We see women as great examples of faithful workers for the kingdom.

1. There was Tabitha who was full of good works; “Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.”

Acts 9:36 ESV

Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.

“Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.” (ES

Acts 9: