Becoming Titus 2: Beliefs About Titus 2 in Today's Culture

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Titus 2:3-5 NIV

³Likewise, 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. ⁴Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵to 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.

Welcome to our first discussion of Becoming Titus 2 in 2010. I'm so glad to have you in join, whether you are here for a thought-provoking read or if you have come by to share your own thoughts. If you are learning about Becoming Titus 2 in 2010 for the first time, be sure to click here to find out how it began!

Today, we are considering, in light of the Titus 2:3-5 passage, our first topic: "Beliefs About Titus 2 in Today's Culture." In other words, we are looking for answers to these types of questions:

• What do you personally think it means to become a Titus 2 woman?
• What do you think is the general sense of the Christian community?
• What is the world's response, in your opinion?
• What challenges do we face as we pursue this mission?
• And where can we find the encouragement and support to press on?

Let me share my thoughts...

As many of you know, I grew up in a non-Christian home. My parents were from two different faith backgrounds, and my mother nobly took the responsibility of our spiritual education. She was committed to providing us with the best training possible, in what she believed was right for her daughters. Not only did she train us spiritually, in her faith, but she also invested time in shaping our eduction, exposing us to cultural things, and in how to care for the home.

As I look back, my mother demonstrated many of the Titus 2 principles. Yet she did so without ever reading this particular passage of Scripture and without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. My point is this, we can very well go about the “doing of Titus 2” without every considering the “point of Titus 2.”

When we look at Titus 2, we must consider the purpose for which God included it in the Scriptures, and we can find that through looking at the very last part of verse 5. It says, “so that no one will malign the word of God.” The Lord is requiring us to live a certain way, so that the Word of God will be held in respect and received by others. In essence, Becoming Titus 2 is as much about spreading the Gospel as it is about living according to the Word.

Considering this truth forces us to reshape our thinking about the Titus 2 call. There is no way we can proceed without considering that each requirement, if I may use such an unbecoming word, is about the Gospel spreading potential. Yet, God, in His amazing mercy and extravagant grace, offers us such a challenge because of the blessing He has in store. When we submit to God’s instructions for our lives, we will experience the peace and joy that comes from doing things His way. Will it be hard? Sure! Will there be a demand for preserving? Humility? Sacrifice? Trust? Absolutely. But those are things that God faithfully provides to His children as we seek to serve Him with our whole hearts.

In my humble opinion, Christians and non-Christians alike both receive and reject the Titus 2 call. It is a tug of war between what women want and fear, men desire but pridefully push away, children crave but deny, churches long for but don’t expect, television shows mock and yet romanticize, and self-help books suggest but slide away from if you get to close. In our world, living out the Titus 2 call will be both a noble mission and rejected concept, which means we must dig deep into the Word for truth, humble ourselves before one another and the Lord in the application of it, and most definitely find our identity securely in the Christ and not from others as we encounter varied responses.

Becoming a Titus 2 woman is about growing in the Lord, applying the Word, and spreading the Good News. It can’t be something we become legalistic. We must be careful to not condemn ourselves or others. Our actions and words must be seasoned with grace and sweetened by the love of God, as we know full well that Becoming Titus 2 it isn’t a means of earning our salvation (which is impossible, but often defaulted into) nor seeking a blessing (much like one signs up for a life insurance policy). Rather Becoming Titus 2 in 2010 is our meek way of showing the Lord our love for Him by obeying His Word. May we gently, lovingly, and sweetly do that together!

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Thank your for taking the time to stop by and contribute your wisdom. If you have shared a post at your own blog, be sure to leave a link below. I look forward to soaking in the wisdom the Lord has brought your way! And I look forward to our discussion next month, on February 9th, "What does it mean to be reverent?"

May we grow together, intentionally this year!

By His Grace & Mighty Power,