Legacy series, part 6

How did you do with your lists yesterday? I saw many things on mine that I am inspired to work on; I'm determined to make some changes, by the working and assistance of His Spirit!

Today's application is very common sense; another important piece of the puzzle for leaving a godly legacy is this -- create relationships, both with "veterans" and with "rookies."

What do I mean?
Let me explain. (Hang in there, ok? You may cringe at how lengthy this post is, but you can divvy it up and come back for the second half tomorrow, if you like!)
After looking at our own list, we may see some things that need working on. One way to accept responsibility and effect change will be to spend time in prayer about those issues. Perhaps look up some verses that address those issues, and commit them to memory. The Spirit can use these and call them to our minds when it's necessary.
Another way is to create relationships with "veteran" believers, those who can act as mentors. Find someone who exemplifies one or more of the traits that you are working on. Reach out to them honestly, and explain what you are up to.
Ask them to pray with you. Ask them if they can set aside a time to talk. Ask them questions. Buy them a cup of coffee and dig into how they do things, and how they react to things. (You may find that they have a wealth of information, simply because they have fought through some of the same issues that you are facing!)
It's not difficult in this day and age of technology, to find a way to reach out to someone who may be more experienced, or more of a "veteran" than we are. We can email; we can text; we can ask them to spend personal time with us if possible. Ask them to mentor you because you are investing in living a more godly life. Tell them you want to leave a legacy.... many godly women need the opportunity to disciple. Allow them that opportunity, and start a relationship that will benefit you both.

The other relationships are ones in which we can mentor others. We are all part of the body of Christ, but we can narrow it down a little more and see that there's a need for us as women to have nurturing, caring relationships. Let's look at the book of Titus and draw from it as we study today.

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. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to 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. (Titus 2:3-5)

Paul has been talking to Titus about how the family of God should function, how it should work. Who are these older women he's talking about? Women who have been to seminary? Women with special training? Nope. Doesn't take special training. The only requirements are to be believers and to model godly, mature behavior! Then we are qualified to teach what we've learned about the heart of God, the ways of God, and the Word of God.
Younger believers may be thinking, I don't even know what a godly woman looks like. What does a godly mom look like.....a godly marriage. Maybe she has no experience, no one in her life that models that lifestyle of faith.  It's for those women, and for you and me, that Paul gave these guidelines.  He is asking; the Spirit is asking; train, nurture, and encourage these women! It happens in other places besides the church pews. It's in small groups. It's one-on-one. It's in-between Sunday services.
What happens if we don't make ourselves available for the Spirit to use in this way? "Rookie" believers, women who have less experience than we do, will not be able to give as good a testimony to the world. They won't be prepared to make their home a haven for Christ-centered living. They won't be prepared to spread the gospel. And I don't think this is something that we can think is optional. We, as women, fall into one of these categories. Maybe we are in the middle - we can mentor younger women, and be encouraged by women older than us! As a younger woman, we should be learning and growing. As an older woman, we should be teaching and setting examples....and encouraging! Always encouraging.

And today, I want to encourage all of you - and me, too! I want to encourage all of us by reminding us that there's a place for us in the body of Christ. There is work to be done!

Maybe you are worried. Maybe you are thinking, I've been a less-than-stellar mom. I've not been the wife I could have been. I think I've failed more than I've succeeded. First off - nobody's perfect! (Grin) And second, haven't we learned something from our failures? Don't we wish sometimes that we could go back and do things differently? Then we should teach that to the younger women. We don't have to have all the answers; we don't have to have won blue ribbons at the fair, raised children that never make mistakes, never made our husbands want to pull down a tree with their bare hands.
Seriously.
We also don't have to be Super Speakers.
We only need to be willing to let other women into our lives and share with them, one-on-one, everyday life things that God has taught us. We only need to share out of our lives, pray with them, come alongside and encourage them. We only need to be willing to search the Scriptures with them and tell them what God has helped us to understand.
Younger women need us to teach them about love and friendship, to hold them accountable, to pray for them and with them, to warn them, and to be examples for them.

Let's all think today: who is our younger woman? Even if you are reading here today and are a teenager, you are still an older woman to someone! A younger sister, a young girl at church or at school. Ladies, who are we bringing alongside, to pray with them and encourage them in their walk with Christ?
And also, who is the older woman in our lives? Who are we giving the privilege of investing in our lives? And are we willing to learn?

At the bottom of that list from yesterday, write some notes to yourself. (You did keep that, didn't you?) Consider what the Lord would have you do. Is there someone who you can reach out to? Whether it's by email or in person, let them know that you want to encourage them, and help them learn the ways of God.
There are a lot of women hungry for this kind of assistance in the church today. And Paul tells us that the gospel, the Word of God, will not be "maligned." No one will be able to speak ill of the gospel, because all of us as women, and as believers, will grow in strength and in spiritual maturity and wisdom.
Don't put this off!
By walking with Christ, and following the Word, we can do more than what is considered possible in human terms. We have the presence of His Spirit to guide us -- so that the legacy we write will be a Godly one.

I hope that this study will spark some thought, some prayer, and some comments. Let me know what you think, and if this has been meaningful to you.