Reading Women (pt.2)

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16,17).

I read a year ago a good suggestion: to have a reading plan for a year. We plan for other things to get done in a year, so why not plan for what to read? You may not be ready for the 15 minutes a day/10 books in a year plan, but you might find your goal more attainable if you record your goal and the titles. Planning in advance can help you stay balanced in your reading. For example you may want to read one book on the character of God, one on biblical womanhood, one on marriage, one on parenting, one biography and one novel. For me, I find it easy to zip through a novel but in reading non-fiction I have to slow down. I also can have two or three books going at one time. A lighter read for short spurts and another weightier read for extended, and more focused times slots.

I suggest keeping a book journal (something I've not yet done but plan to - starting now). Book journals can be helpful in remembering what was read, when it was read, the general content and page numbers of key points for future reference.

Do you need a reading partner? Just as those who exercise with a partner tend to stay exercising longer, so it can be with reading. A reading partner could be a husband, mother, sister, friend.

Where do you start? I would encourage you to ask your husband, your pastor, your caregroup leader or our bookstore manager, Bruce Bradford. Trinity's bookstore is a gold mine for truth. All the books you find there take theology and bring it to bear for daily living. These are tools that help us to be trained by scripture in righteousness that we may be equipped for every good work. If you do not see a book that you need Bruce will be happy to order it for you.

Here are a few suggestions from your bloggers and the wives of the pastoral team.

Knowing God by J.I. Packer
Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges
Humility by C.J. Mahaney
Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot
Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney
Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
When Sinners Say I Do by Dave Harvey
Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Heaven at Home by Ginger Plowman
Elisabeth Prentiss "More Love to Thee" by Sharon James
Age of Opportunity by Paul Tripp
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp
Abigail Adams by Phyllis Lee Levine

Happy Reading!!!

Reading Women

As far back as I can remember I have enjoyed reading. It began with the rhymes of Mother Goose and Dr. Seuss being read to me, and moved to the excitement of sounding out words in the Dick, Jane, and Sally primers (yes, I know, I'm revealing my age). From there I stepped into the world of the public library system and discovered "B is for Betsy" books. Then it was Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

Then my reading time was devoted to finishing high school literature assignments. At the same time the Lord saved me and spending time in the scripture became a daily diet.

Once married - with children my reading was again for the most part limited to Mother Goose and Dr. Seuss. But eventually as my children grew, I grew with them and enjoyed their books along with them. I discovered this is one benefit to homeschooling!!

I tried over the years to fit in a book of my own here and there. These books were mainly about theology, biographies or biblical womanhood with a novel thrown in here and there. I wish I had kept a book diary.

Two weeks ago when I was at the SG leaders conference the women enjoyed a session with Carolyn Mahaney. In this session Carolyn encouraged us to devour good resources. As women called by God to be keepers of the home, to be home managers, and teachers of young women, we must be equipping ourselves for this role. In her book Feminine Appeal, Carolyn makes a valid point when she observes in most every profession there is an expectation that an individual will pursue a continuing education in his/her field. In today's fast paced and ever changing world people must stay current in their line of work. In a sense we never graduate from school. We are always to be learners. We are always to be readers.

May I challenge you today with Carolyn's call to be devouring good books? Let us be reading women. Let us be pursuing excellence in home management. Let us learn how to be good stewards of our time and resources. Let us learn how to be better wives and mothers. Let us be students of theology so that we might speak truth to those in our lives. You might think you do not have the time. You might be in a season where Dr. Seuss is the only author's name you can recall. You may have slipped into a habit of doing all your reading from short bits of info from the web. If this is true of you, I hope you will be encouraged as I was when Carolyn gave us these words from John Piper:

Suppose you read slowly like I do maybe about the same speed that you speak - 200 words a minute. If you read fifteen minutes a day for one year (say just before supper, or just before bed), you will read 5,475 minutes in the year. Multiply that by 200 words a minute, and you get 1,095,000 words that you would read in a year. Now an average serious book might have about 360 words per page. So you would have read 3,041 pages in one year. That's ten very substantial books. All in fifteen minutes a day. (When I Don't Desire God, p. 129)

I'm ready to accept that challenge. Whether it is fifty minutes a day or fifteen, let us become reading women. Later this week we'll share our suggestions for good books and excellent authors. What are you reading?

Significant Others

Do Christians have significant others? They most certainly do, but not in the way the world defines that term. We read in Philippians 2 that we are to "count others as more significant than ourselves." Who are the "significant others" in your life? This morning we were taught that partners in the Gospel, especially those within the church, are the people Paul had in mind when he wrote those words.

How easy it is for me to be my significant one. Often much of my day is devoted to me. How much of my thought life is given to me? If my thoughts could be recorded during those times, I'm ashamed to say that it would sound very much like a scratched CD that gets stuck on one short phrase, "me,me,me,me,me,me,me,me." How me centered am I when it comes to life in the church? Or in my home?

But this is not the way of Christ, and this is not the way for the advancement of the Gospel. Paul in Philippians is telling us that if we are to see the Gospel go forth, we must stand side by side.

"being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

This week I had the privilege of seeing up close a new mom caring for her little one. Here was a living illustration of what it means to humbly count others as more significant than oneself. This is a very gifted, intelligent and personable woman who could probably do and be anything she chose to do or be. Yet, for her love for Christ she has counted God's design for marriage and family as more significant than her own career aspirations. And so, when her husband left town for a week on business she didn't function out of rivalry or conceit (pride, or self-pity which thinks I deserve better than this). She released her husband to his labors and she parented alone for those few days. In this way she was of one mind with her husband.

Today I heard of a young woman who has four children ages 18 months to 8 yrs. who is single parenting while her husband serves our country in Iraq. Here again is a living example of someone not looking only to her own interests. She and her husband are of one mind in this "calling."

Today a visitor to our church gave a positive report of observing a sister diligently caring for another sister during worship while at the same time listening attentively to her pastor. This is Philippians 2 in action.

There are many women in our church who do "strive side by side" with their leaders for the advancement of the gospel. They are not looking out for their own interests. They do not function out of rivalry and conceit. These are those that make for "happy pastors." I praise God for these dear women.

This is as it should be. In the home and in the church. Ladies, there is no greater practicum for biblical teaching than in the home and in the church. Can you think of one area of your life in the home and in the church where this week you are going to choose to count (consider) others to be more significant than yourself? Will you act on this?

It won't be easy; I can almost guarantee it. Your flesh will fight against it. Satan will tempt you away from it. In fact, if you do this in your own strength you will fail. You'll dissolve in a mud-puddle of jealousy, anger, resentment, and self-pity. But if you fully rely on God and His Grace through the Lord Jesus and the powerful help of the Holy Spirit, you will find great joy and blessing. You will be amazed at what good there is to be found in living for those "significant others" in your life. Christ did this for us. Can we do any less?

Feminine Appeal #2

Transformed by Titus 2

No matter our circumstances or season of life, there are some things we can know for sure we ought to be doing as women. Mahaney points us to Titus 2:3-5, where older women are told to teach the younger women. I think it's important that Paul doesn't say "if you're older, married, and have had kids, here's what you should teach." He only makes a distinction between older and younger. As I said in my previous post, all of us are older to someone and most of us are younger to someone. So if you're thinking this passage doesn't apply to you, it most certainly does.

Mahaney calls this Titus 2 passage "the mentoring mandate." In it, older women are exhorted to provide training in "what is good" to the younger women. (The rest of the passage tells us what the good things are, and a chapter of the book is devoted to each of the seven, so I won't go into that here.) Older women: are you taking up this challenge in your woman-to-woman relationships at TFC? As Mahaney says, "young women are in dire need of your training and instruction." She goes on:

To function in this role you need not have the gift of teaching or be a theological expert; it simply requires you to possess proven character (as outlined in verse 3). The years have brought you much knowledge and insight, and you have a significant role to play in the church. You have discovered secrets and godly wisdom in relation to husbands, children, and the home that could save younger women a lot of unnecessary trouble and concern.

Mahaney also points out that there is no greater mentoring relationship than the one between mother and daughter. Mothers are in the best place to prepare their daughters for their futures and can serve as the most accessible example of a godly wife, mother, and home manager. What kind of example are you setting for your daughter? What about for your daughters in Christ--those younger women in the church who are without a godly mother, or without a mother at all?

There is also an important word for single women that I think she nails:

If marriage and motherhood are in your future, now is the time to prepare for that profession. Even if you remain single, you can still cultivate biblical femininity by studying this passage. It will instruct you in how to care for the marriages and children of those closest to you. You don't have to draw from personal experience; you still have the truth of God's Word to train the younger women in your life.

It's pretty clear that all women are called to mentor and be mentored in the good things of Titus 2:3-5. Younger women should be actively pursuing older women to learn from their experience. In the same way, older women should consider often how they can affect the lives of younger women. (By the way, if you're interested in mentoring or being mentored, contact Gayline!)

But why do we do this? What's the point?

Maybe you're in agreement with the virtues listed in the passage and believe they are the traditional values we need to get back to. However, "we are not commanded to love our husbands and to love our children so we an have strong, happy families like those from a previous era.... there is a far higher call." Maybe you're of the idea that these virtues are antiquated and restrictive and can't possibly realistically apply to today's woman. While it is true that there are some cultural and historical particularities in the Bible, that does not appear to apply here. As Mahaney states, "this passage remains authoritative and relevant for women today."

The reason the commands of Titus 2 have been given to us is for the gospel of Jesus Christ. "These virtues are not about our personal fulfillment or individual preference. They are required for the sake of unbelievers--so that those who are lost might come to know our Savior" (see Titus 2:5, 8, 10). What an all-important reason!

As I'm sure you know, the things you do reveal what you believe. And if you're a Christian, that means the things you do impact the way others think about the gospel. "They want to see if what we believe makes a difference in our lives. Our actions either bring honor to God or misrepresent His truth." Do you realize this means that your actions have the potential to discredit the gospel? No doubt a cause for reflection. But on the flip side, we can actually commend the gospel by our actions. What an opportunity!

To close out the chapter, Mahaney writes, "This book is about the transforming effect of the gospel--because that is what Titus 2 is all about.... the seven feminine virtues we will consider in this book are not an end in themselves. They point to the transforming effect of the gospel in the lives of women..."

May we women strive to live Titus 2:3-5 for the expansion of the kingdom of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ for His glory alone.

I'm in. Are you?

Singing Women

Can my children observe that I am "dazzled by Christ"? Do my children hear me singing? Do they observe a "Gospel Astonishment"? These are questions brought to my heart last week at the pastor's conference by Jared Mellinger from Psalm 78.

I was encouraged in my parenting and grandparenting to hear again of God's design for His families: for one generation to tell the next and the ones yet unborn that they should put their hope in God.

Too often I live in the here and now. I am so consumed with what is on my "to do" list, I lack joy and lose sight of one of my chief responsibilities: "the shaping of generations for decades to come." I'm not talking about teaching a few Bible verses to my grandchildren (though that is a good thing). I'm not talking about teaching them the Shorter Catechism (though a good thing). I'm talking about my children and grandchildren observing my delight in Christ. Do my children observe me processing life's twists and turns through the truth of His Sovereignty? Do they observe me walking confidently in the Gospel truth? Do they observe a bounce in my step because of all that Christ has done for me?

Ladies, this is what will make the Gospel attractive to our children. And not just our children. We must think beyond our lifetime. We have the high privilege of influencing generations with the truth about God. But they will not be attracted to the Gospel if they do not observe us living in "Gospel astonishment."

This means we must be motivated by "God's renown and not our personal legacy." But what better legacy can there be than to have it be said of me, "She influenced her great-great-great grandchildren with the love of Christ by her joy-filled spirit in her home. Daily she was heard singing to her Savior even in the midst of many cares and responsibilities. Her amazement in the Gospel created such a sweetness her children and grandchildren wanted to be around her and in result children yet unborn will hear of this Great Savior."

So today will you join me by gazing at my crucified, risen, and reigning Savior and by His grace turn up the volume of your joy in HIM and SING!!!