A Mother to Others

Titus 2:1–2 NIV

1 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

I thought this was a mothers day message? It is, keep tracking with me.

Titus 2:3 NIV

3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

Teach who? The older women.

Reverent? To live in a way that honors God.

Slander is the legal term for the act of harming a person's reputation by telling one or more other people something that is untrue and damaging about that person.

This could be gossip. Well I don’t do that pastor!

Ladies have you even interjected this phrase into a conversation: Have you heard the latest about such and such?

You know when it’s going to be good? When they lower their voice.

Pastor I need to ask this for a friend of mine. How much is much wine? For each person this could be different.

Story: Mom’s struggle / clean / one drink... gone

So be honest with yourself. You know what much means for you. Don’t over do it.

#1 Before becoming a “Mother to others”. You need to practice what you preach.

Vs. 3: Instead of these things you are to teach.

Older women in the faith have the generational responsibility to share their gifts and graces with younger women.

#2 Being a Mother to others, is your responsibility to teach the younger generation.

They are to tell the stories of their victories as well as their failures and show how their stories are part of God’s grand story of redemption.

Titus 2:4–5 NIV

4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Vs. 4: Then they can Urge. In the Greek this word can be translated teach and encourage.

This is something we have lost in our culture today. The older teaching the younger.

The Titus 2 mandate is life-on-life discipleship that guides and nurtures those young in the faith to mature Christian womanhood.

It is a mothering ministry. This mothering spirit is evident in Paul’s description of his own ministry to the Thessalonians:

1 Thessalonians 2:7–8 NIV

7 Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

#3 Being a Mother to others is caring for others like they were your very own.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 NIV

8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

#4 Being a Mother to others is sharing God’s truth and your life.

The younger generation don’t want to hear from me.

Why? Are you judgmental toward them?

Theodore Roosevelt — 'People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care'

Steps to loving and reaching the younger generation:

Invite over for a meal or take them out. Pay.

Ask them to share their story

Love on them unconditionally

Repeat 1-3 until #5

You earn the right to speak into their life.

Opening your home to a young women.

Who do you know that is in their 20-30’s that you can start loving on and mentoring.

Story of Elderly church couple that built a swing set in there yard for the young families around them.