Long Time No Type
Finally, hello. I've found the motivation to sign-in and, more importantly, process everything, which is not an easy task (except for signing-in, which only takes the click of a mouse). I've been applying like a crazy woman to jobs and to places I could never see myself at. I've realized that job hunting brings out the worst in me, in irritation, in pessimism, and in energy. They've always said that looking for work is a job in itself, but I don't know if I would want to make a career out of this. Not only is it monotonous filling out the same information for each new application, but it's not fulfilling to turn in papers and never hear another word back.
Last night I opened my Bible, dusty and weak with its under-turned pages. I forged a now familiar path to Titus and read: quickly, efficiently, and determinedly I examined chapter 2, verses 1-6. Here's what I found...
Verses 1-6 concentrate on teaching and acting. What should the older men look like? The older women? What about the younger men and women, whose responsibility is it to teach them? Questions like these can be studied in this passage of Titus, which makes it clear the attitudes and behaviors we should seek to exude.
Older men, which refers to age not office, must be...
-Temporate: Abstaining from wine and clear-headed
-Worthy of respect: Personal Dignity, seriousness of purpose
-Self-controlled: Self-mastery of thoughts
-Sound in Faith, in love, in endurance: Spiritual healthiness of heart and mind, genuine love for God, and active perseverance that bravely bears the afflictions of life
Likewise, the older women should have lives wrapped in reverence, sobriety, and sensibility. In verse 3, it says the older women are to be teachers of what is good. The commentary I was using pointed this out as more of an "in the home" teaching than an outreach. Of course teaching was in the home for women of that day because the home was their primary audience: who they came into contact with. For modern times, I think you could say it like “take the opportunities you have with people you come in contact with to teach and model goodness.” I think it can spread farther than the home because women today encounter far more people than just family due to new liberties and technologies, such as in workplace, at the gym, or on social networking sites. Mostly, I think the verse reminds us that when you’re investing in someone, ensure that are actually teaching them the goodness lessons maturity has taught you.
Another interesting statement that stuck out to me was "workers at home (NASB)" in verse 5. This is when it's talking about what characteristics younger, or newly married, women should uphold. “Workers at home” points out two things to me:
1. That women struggle with contentment. We should not only be content in our position (i.e., housewife) but we should walk the extra mile to do the most productive and positive things in our positions, even if they seem degrading or monotonous.
2. That women struggle with settlement. That is, we can get too comfortable too quickly, and then never have another ounce of motivation left in us. We forget the importance of setting goals; we forget to strive for things, and then we feel trapped in the situation we’re in. We need to be working IN OUR CURRENT SITUATION, so that we can rise above our current situation, or glorify Christ in remaining in our current situation.
Also, it is noteworthy that the text follows "workers at home" with "kind" in the verse. When one is legitimately working in the home, when you have accepted the huge weight of overseeing the household, it's going to seem overwhelming. The sheer magnitude of all that must be done in a day's work wears on the young woman, who then may become irritable and harsh in her family dealings in an effort to get some help. This tendency toward irritability is exactly where the reminder of kindness comes in. It is easy to become harsh when you feel drowned in the "to do's;" it is hard to cultivate a heart of kindness. It's a tall order, but the payoff is knowing that you are honoring the Word of God (vs. 5).
If God is ALL we need, He will be WHAT we need.
Last night I opened my Bible, dusty and weak with its under-turned pages. I forged a now familiar path to Titus and read: quickly, efficiently, and determinedly I examined chapter 2, verses 1-6. Here's what I found...
Verses 1-6 concentrate on teaching and acting. What should the older men look like? The older women? What about the younger men and women, whose responsibility is it to teach them? Questions like these can be studied in this passage of Titus, which makes it clear the attitudes and behaviors we should seek to exude.
Older men, which refers to age not office, must be...
-Temporate: Abstaining from wine and clear-headed
-Worthy of respect: Personal Dignity, seriousness of purpose
-Self-controlled: Self-mastery of thoughts
-Sound in Faith, in love, in endurance: Spiritual healthiness of heart and mind, genuine love for God, and active perseverance that bravely bears the afflictions of life
Likewise, the older women should have lives wrapped in reverence, sobriety, and sensibility. In verse 3, it says the older women are to be teachers of what is good. The commentary I was using pointed this out as more of an "in the home" teaching than an outreach. Of course teaching was in the home for women of that day because the home was their primary audience: who they came into contact with. For modern times, I think you could say it like “take the opportunities you have with people you come in contact with to teach and model goodness.” I think it can spread farther than the home because women today encounter far more people than just family due to new liberties and technologies, such as in workplace, at the gym, or on social networking sites. Mostly, I think the verse reminds us that when you’re investing in someone, ensure that are actually teaching them the goodness lessons maturity has taught you.
Another interesting statement that stuck out to me was "workers at home (NASB)" in verse 5. This is when it's talking about what characteristics younger, or newly married, women should uphold. “Workers at home” points out two things to me:
1. That women struggle with contentment. We should not only be content in our position (i.e., housewife) but we should walk the extra mile to do the most productive and positive things in our positions, even if they seem degrading or monotonous.
2. That women struggle with settlement. That is, we can get too comfortable too quickly, and then never have another ounce of motivation left in us. We forget the importance of setting goals; we forget to strive for things, and then we feel trapped in the situation we’re in. We need to be working IN OUR CURRENT SITUATION, so that we can rise above our current situation, or glorify Christ in remaining in our current situation.
Also, it is noteworthy that the text follows "workers at home" with "kind" in the verse. When one is legitimately working in the home, when you have accepted the huge weight of overseeing the household, it's going to seem overwhelming. The sheer magnitude of all that must be done in a day's work wears on the young woman, who then may become irritable and harsh in her family dealings in an effort to get some help. This tendency toward irritability is exactly where the reminder of kindness comes in. It is easy to become harsh when you feel drowned in the "to do's;" it is hard to cultivate a heart of kindness. It's a tall order, but the payoff is knowing that you are honoring the Word of God (vs. 5).
If God is ALL we need, He will be WHAT we need.
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