Learning from Titus

I love the book of Titus. It is packed with practical instructions for life. This means it is not a comfortable book. My personal life often does not reflect its commands. Many churches also do not emphasise or reflect its teaching. Yet the book of Titus also shows how far we have progressed. Titus 3:3: “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.” I identify with this description of what I once was! Likewise, many of my brothers and sisters once lived this way. Yet God miraculously intervened. He showed kindness and love (3:4). He saved us according to his mercy, “through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” not due to our works (3:5). God gave us abundance through Christ (3:6). Now we have been justified through grace and have an eternal hope (3:7). What a contrast with our former situation! Jesus Christ's sacrificial death on the cross for our sins has liberated us to walk in life, hope, and freedom.

In the light of the facts about what He has done for us, God tells us to obey his commands. Titus 3:18 “This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.” We are not to be like those who profess to know God, but deny him through their disobedient works (1:16). Our liberation is not only a motivation to good works. It is also an event that reminds us of the power of God. If God is powerful enough to turn our lives around, he is surely able to help us complete the good works he requires. While as individuals and churches we do not yet put into action all the commands in this book, we have hope that God will bring it about.

I have been memorizing Titus 2:1-8. This segment of scripture gives instructions to Christians of various age groups. I hope this will help me to pray for others. I also want to obey verses 4 and 5. These verses teach that young women are to love their husbands, love their children, be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, and obedient to their husbands. As I have stated on my blog before, I believe these verses apply to all young women even if they are not yet married. If this is what God wants for us at a future date, it is worthwhile to begin preparing now! Obviously I can't yet love or obey my husband, but I can aim for some of the other goals. I often work on loving children, as I am with them nearly every day. As I memorized these verses, I realised that I did not even know what discreet meant! I consulted Macquarie's dictionary, and this is the definition it gave. Discreet: 1. wise or judicious in avoiding mistakes or faults; prudent; circumspect; cautious; not rash. 2. not given to careless talk; restrained. 3. not flamboyant; unobtrusive. I quickly realised I had a long way to go before I achieved that goal!

While I had the dictionary out, I was also inspired to look up the word homemaker. I love this definition: "one who creates and maintains a comfortable and welcoming ambience for the members of a household". This definition places the emphasis upon people, where it should be. God wants us to have confortable and happy homes. This would usually involve cleaning and cooking, or delegating it to someone else, but that is not the focus. The reason God wants women to be homemakers is that it blesses and serves others. It is possible to have a spotless yet unwelcoming home. All women can be homemakers no matter what their current work situation is. However, creating a welcoming home for our families and communities does take time and effort. This means that it is reasonable to conclude that at some times in our lives, particularly when there are young children at home, it will be necessary to cut back on paid work in order to fulfill this calling.