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.
Titus 2:3
When we were growing up, we were in a race to grow up. We wanted to move forward, to get older so we could start enjoying life. We wanted to get taller so we could go on the adult rides that had a sign saying you had to be so big. And once we were on, we were scared out of our minds. As we walked off the ride, we coolly said that it was a big nothing.
There was moving from nine to ten. We finally were beyond the single-digit age and into the double-digit stage of life. Little did we think that this is where we were going to spend the rest of our lives in.
And then came the magic age when we could drive. The mind-tingling excitement of being behind the wheel for the first time. But with it came responsibilities. Making enough money for insurance and to put gas in it. Patiently sitting in traffic while we waited for the car in front of us to get out of the way. But then there was another car in front of that one that we had to wait for. And then another.
It didn’t matter how old we were, we wanted to be older. We wanted to somehow speed up time so we could leave where we were and get to that fabulous place called tomorrow. Because like the song Tomorrow, it’s always a day away[1].
But now, things are different. We want to go back to the days when we were young. When the days in front of us were more than the days behind us. When the future seemed limitless.
The great race to become older has become the World War Three battle against it.
World War 1 – To slow it down.
World War 2 – To stop it.
World War 3 – To reverse it.
Paul says that there’s something good about being older. While few of us like to be thought of as old, even fewer like to be called old. Paul’s saying that there actually are some benefits. And that Titus, and us, need to use those advantages.
But these advantages start with some teaching. Some instruction. Some help in moving forward before these strong and talented women can start teaching others. There are four things that they have to do.
Be reverent in the way they live. Their daily lives need to be filled with words, thoughts, actions, and attitudes that point to Jesus. Not in a negative way, but in a very positive and uplifting way.
Not to be slanderers. Their words are not to falsely accuse anyone of anything. They are not to criticize anyone with the idea of only hurting them. They are not to talk with the idea of cutting off a relationship.
Not to be addicted to much wine. More than just wine, they are not to be slaves to anything that chains them. They are not to use anything that makes them belong to something they put in their bodies.
To teach what is good. Everything that they do and say is to point people to the goodness of God and how to live like he made us to. To share how God has been good to them.
When we live like this, it’s much more than following a list of to-dos and to-don’ts. The love of God shown in and through Jesus comes out. As a matter of fact, just try and stop it. You won’t be able to help yourself. All of a sudden, you just find yourself being like Jesus in all you say and do.
The goal is to live a life that people enjoy being around. Living in an attractive way that everyone wants to be near. When we live like this, we become a magnet that pulls people towards us. We become a light that makes life brighter for everyone. We won’t have to go looking for friends, they will be drawn to us.
Boy, wouldn’t we all like friends like this? To have people that are just so attractive and helpful in life. To be surrounded by friends that only build us up. Encourage us. Help us. Lift us up when we’re down.
But the harder question is what’s stopping us from becoming like this? What’s in our way from becoming the kind of person that people want to be near because of what we say? How we act. How we’re always on their team and never on their backs.
This never comes easy. There’s no pill or three-step program that can change us. The only thing that changes people actually isn’t a thing. It isn’t a what. It’s a who. Receiving God’s total forgiveness because of who and what Jesus did for us is the one and only solution to the problem that we call “us.”
When he makes us brand new in Christ, he doesn’t just drop us off and say, “OK, go and figure it out for yourself.” He lives inside us today. Tomorrow. And for all time. We may not like to be called old, but we really like to be called loved. It’s time to start the journey now.
Noodling Questions
What’s holding you back from receiving God’s total forgiveness?
How would you like that total forgiveness change the way you live?
How do you think God wants to change you because of his total forgiveness?
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