Younger and Older Women’s Perpetual Sins
In 1 Timothy 5, we are told what younger and older women’s perpetual sins will be if they don’t learn godliness and who they are in Christ. For the older women, we are told: “Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.” Yes, I know this chapter is speaking about widows, but it’s relevant to all of us.
Later on in this chapter, we are told what should define a godly, older woman. “Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.” Therefore, older women are to be known for serving of others. Their lives should be marked by loving and serving their families too. This is the ministry that God has called them to do.
In Titus 2:3, we are told this about older women: “The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things.” Older women are then told exactly what they are to be teaching young women in Titus 2:3-5. This is God’s prescription for older women: to live godly, holy lives and love and serve others.
What are older women’s perpetual sins that they must watch out for? Living in pleasure and seeking pleasure, namely doing their own thing instead of what God has called them to do. Many older women don’t want to care for their grandchildren nor teach young women. They want to travel and enjoy life, because they’ve already raised their own children. This is wrong and unbiblical! Our lives are never to be lived for ourselves. Our lives are to be lived as living sacrifices for others since as we serve others, we are serving the Lord. The older women need to be investing their lives into the young women and teaching/modeling to them biblical womanhood. Our churches and culture are suffering because older women have become seekers of pleasure rather than seekers of God.
What are younger women to be defined and how are they to live their lives? They are commanded to “be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:4, 5). In 1 Timothy 5:14, we are told that they are to “marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” Single women are to be holy in body and spirit (1 Corinthians 7:34).
What are younger women’s perpetual sins that they must watch out for? “And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not” (1 Timothy 5:13). The young women have a tendency to not want to be home but to run out here and there, thus neglecting their homemaking duties. On top of that, they would rather watch TV or scroll through their social media sites rather than cook, clean, and care for their husband and children. They also have trouble keeping out of other people’s lives by meddling and gossiping about them. They seem to love to tear other people down.
There you have it, younger and older women. God clearly commands how He wants us to live and shows us the sin we need to run from. He wants us to live in obedience to Him, because He knows this will produce beautiful fruit in our lives. The perpetual sins that we may become involved with will only produce rotten fruit.
Know your struggles and steer clear of them. Know who you are in Christ and that you can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you. You can say “yes” to righteousness and “no” to sin. The more you discipline yourself to love and serve others, the more joyful you will become!
I was once a younger woman and am now an older women. I can certify that these biblical facts are true.
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
Titus 2:12
15 thoughts on “Younger and Older Women’s Perpetual Sins”
Younger women don’t like being taught how to do things by their mother-in-laws or by other older women if they haven’t first asked for the advice themselves; they say that you’re mommy shaming them. That’s probably one big reason why older women don’t take initiative in that department anymore. I’m not an older woman, but how would an older woman be able to teach if younger women consider it to be rude and disrespectful?
That’s so true, Mara. Young women seem to want to learn from other young women rather than the older women, unfortunately.
Yes, I admit I’ve been guilty of this. ?
I feel somewhat attacked when it comes from mother-in-law. This is something I need to seek the Lord’s help for. Thank you for bringing this point up!
I have a question. I’ve been following your posts for some time and I have recently become a young widow. My children are teenagers now so they can get jobs to help out. Should I get a job as well to keep the household running? Life insurance and survivor’s benefits only go so far, and I’m investing some of it so I have some to retire on, as well as keeping some for savings in case of an emergency. However since I’m a stay at home mom, that’s my only income now, the monthly survivor’s benefits. Those will stop once my children graduate high school or turn 18, whichever comes first. That’s not that far away. I don’t particularly want to remarry anytime soon as I feel it’s proper to grieve for at least a year. My brother’s have their own families to take care of and my parents are elderly and don’t have much of an income either. I’ve asked my church for help and they’ve been kind enough to help but have also gently warned me that I may have to get a job soon as they have a monthly budget like most churches do and can’t fund the same family over and over because there are other families and individuals who need the help as well. Seems I’m coming to a rock and a hard place. What should I do? I’ve cut out all unnecessary expenditures and we live quite frugally but I hate depriving my children of a life they once knew. I’ve even thought about taking in other people’s clothing for mending and sewing, but with the pandemic I’m worried about contamination. Plus it seems people don’t need such services anymore. I don’t know what to do.
I agree that younger women tend to ask their peers a lot more than older women. I think it stems from having children around the same age and asking about things like, best elementary teacher, best math curriculum, or if there is more room in Jenny’s dance class etc. Those types of questions then flow into the more important how to live life questions.
But I am glad there is a remnant of older women like Lori out there who are willing to teach younger women despite their reception. I am also glad that she has taken the time to live Biblical truths. I know one reason I am very particular about the older women I listen to is that they are not living a life I want to emulate. Many of them have discarded the teachings of scripture. Others of them have grown children who don’t fear the Lord (not that one can control grown children) but as I try to maximize the best outcome from my parenting I gravitate towards women who have raised Godly adults.
When I have the opportunity, I do like to ask older women what they would have done the same or differently with raising their children no matter the outcome of their children. I believe there is something I can learn from the bad outcomes as well as the good. Those answers have been quite enlightening and I am thankful that older women are willing to share.
Fantastic post, Lori! This is the kind of stuff I come here for. 🙂 Thank you for these wonderful reminders of God’s truth – true food for the soul and light for our feet.
Bless you and yours!
Ask the Lord to help you make some money from home, Cassidy, but remember, the Lord tells us that if we have food and clothing, we are to be content. Your children will be better off not having a lot of material wealth and learning to live simply.
Nothing wrong with remarrying sooner than year but everyone grieves differently. Yeah agree with Lori just be frugal and see what jobs you can do from home maybe. If your sons/kids are working then that should be a blessing as well.
“The young women have a tendency to not want to be home but to run out here and there, thus neglecting their homemaking duties.”
So much of this I have seen, much in my own family. The inability to just “stop”. To quietly reflect, to spend some time within one’s self. They seem terrified of this, “dis-ease” is one of the better descriptors I have retained.
I wonder if they even ask for it anymore?
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace.
I pray this every day. I feel for those who no longer seek it.
Peter, I absolutely agree. I see this phenomenon as well. Young women who cannot stay still, nor stay at home. They are discontent, I believe. I believe they do not know the will of God for them, or do know and choose to do their own pleasure. Many times husbands are cowardly to lovingly teach or rebuke their wives for fear of upsetting the dragon. Not to mention 75% of mother with children under 18 work full time outside the home.
After being in churches in my small town for 8 years, I finally met a woman who actually stayed home and raised her children. She is 80. The older women have spent their time and energy on their careers. Why would I want to emulate that? I don’t see pursuit of careers for women any where in the Bible.
I can remember as a young man listening to older men and just understanding they knew more than we did. They had lived it. I still see this in the workplace and elsewhere with men now. There’s always a few young know-nothing-know-it-alls around but most young men will at least give older men the respect of listening, even if they don’t take the information as gospel. Not to make an aggrandizement of men but if someone has done something successfully that you haven’t you would be a fool not to listen and consider the advice.
What’s with women? There seems to be an underlying feeling of contempt with many women for each other. Like resentment or maybe it’s intra- sexual competition? Jealousy. Younger, more attractive women know how they’re resented by older women who’s power has faded to get what women want from men. Especially if they’ve failed to achieve what they wanted. That’s what happens in a society where women have used beauty and sexual appeal to men outside of God’s design. Or where women are taught to pursue life like men. Married or single.
What’s the feeling when a single or divorced, childless, older, smart, successful career woman begins to realize she will never have kids or possibly even marriage? When she stands there In the checkout line behind a Mother half her age. A couple adorable kids and a stunning ring and she’s probably not even half as intelligent. She seems to have it all and all she did was say yes to marriage early. That’s got to sting.
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your husband Cassidy. I will include you in my prayers. I am not an older woman but I wanted to suggest a possible income source in case you haven’t thought of it… Perhaps Lori will not support it and I would be interested in her thoughts on this as well… before covid, I had a friend who would bring her two little children to my home and I would nanny them for $10 an hour while she worked. I have my own children only slightly older than hers and it gave me the opportunity to make some money while keeping at my own home and being with my own children all day. Since their mother was a friend, I have talked with her several times about how she could quit her job and go home to be a stay at home mom too. I suggested ways she could cut expenses and talked about how very glad I was to have quit my job and trust in the Lord in order to stay home. But she was set on working and needed childcare. She had others lined up if I could not do it. Anyways, there are sites out there you could market yourself or put the word out to people at church. There are women willing to bring their children to someone else’s home for childcare. Of course, if this is at all enabling another women to disobey Gods word than I’d be interested to hear what Lori thinks about it. Blessings to you dear sister and prayers as well.
I think it’s fine, Heather, since you were able to stay home with your children. This is the most important thing and you gave these other children a secure place to be while their mother worked. It’s good that you spoke truth to her since no one can take her place in her children’s lives.