Pillars in the House of God (pt.2)

Women as pillars in the church.  My mind has been racing since yesterday.  There are so many directions I could go in, but how do I narrow my thoughts so as to not let this become a book? I decided the best approach was to go to Scripture and draw from some examples of strong women in the NT.  I could spend many days on this, but my posts are not to be lengthy lectures.  I blog my thoughts for my own instruction and encouragement, nothing deeply profound, but hopefully helpful.  

So, here's pillar #1.  A young woman, married only 7 years.  I'm not sure how old she was when she got married but I'm guessing it was around age 14 (the Bible says "from when she was a virgin").  At age 21 she becomes a widow.  Single.  Alone.  What did she choose to do with her life at that point?  She chose service in the temple.  She gave her life to worshiping, fasting and prayer and waiting for the Messiah.  This she did for 84 years!!! Then, after seeing Jesus, she began to speak of him (witnessing) to everyone else who was looking for the Messiah's appearance.  I can only assume this continued until she died.  Amazing.  Aren't you glad God allowed Anna to see the answer to her 84 year long prayer?

When I think about Anna as a pillar in the house of God my imagination runs wild.   I am pretty sure Mary and Joseph had no clue someone was praying for them during those months of pregnancy, labor and delivery.   I am sure Anna herself was unaware of the details of the Messiah's entrance into history.  But being a prophetess, maybe she was given some sense that it would happen during her lifetime.  We don't know.

This much we do know:  this was a woman, who at the age of 21 (or so) committed her life to service in the temple.  Her prayer and fasting may well have been used by God to help sustain Jesus, and the disciples.  We don't know how long she lived, but we have no reason to think she died after seeing Jesus.  Did she continue to pray for him, his ministry, the nation of Israel, and the future church?  I think so.

There is an obvious connection to our lives for women to be pillars for prayer, but I won't repeat myself.  The pillars I am thinking of today is of those women between the ages of 20 and 100 who are single.  These women may have never been married, they may be divorced or widowed.  But their husband is Christ, and they are in a very real sense married to the church.

These are pillars who serve the body so faithfully through their prayer, fasting, and worship.  They worship God with heart and voice but also with joyful fellowship and service.  They teach young children, they serve through evangelism, they mentor other women, they assist their pastors in any and every area.  They give up their time to babysit for families.  They do this tirelessly.

I am sure if these women were to imagine living a single life for 84 years they might be tempted to despair.  There are definitely many difficulties in singleness.  But the single women I know, are not pining away for "Mr. Right."  They are embracing their singleness for the glory of God and the good of the church present and future.

Ladies, your prayers, your worship, your acts of loving service to the Body of Christ, like Anna's, will have a lasting impact.  And who knows?  Maybe in your lifetime you will experience the second coming of Christ, and He will find you serving as a pillar in the House of God!! Imagine that!!