God's Priorities for Today's Woman
Introduction to a Ladies' Bible Study
“God’s Priorities For Today’s Woman -Discovering His Plan for You”
By Lisa Hughes -Fall 2020
Ladies, I am praying that God would raise up a generation of women who will courageously stand firm on the inerrancy, relevancy and authority of God’s Word. We live in a generation now where so many women who profess Christ have been taken captive “with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that comes from human thinking (speculations, ideologies, philosophies, and psychologies) and from the spiritual powers (satanic and human reasonings) of this world, rather than from Christ.” (Colossians 2:8 NLT). Ladies, Jesus Christ our Lord is our Master. He is our Teacher. He is the One who speaks truth to our hearts through His living Word with all power and authority. Christ’s wisdom through the Word of God is all-sufficient. It is enough. It supersedes man’s wisdom, man’s thoughts, ideas and way of thinking. We must not be women who ignore God’s Word but who are ignited by it! To believe it! To breathe it! To bathe ourselves in it! To behold it! To be bound by it! To benefit from it! To be beacons of it! To bear fruit by it! We need to beautify the doctrine of God our Saviour by it! We need to blaze a path for it for the next generation!
Listen very carefully to what Lisa Hughes writes as she introduces Lesson One in her inductive Bible study of Titus 2:3-5:
“The feminist movement, initially comprised of a small but vocal minority, has virtually changed the way the world views women and their roles in society. The well-documented goal of feminism is to destroy the family and the biblical roles that God ordained. Feminism’s philosophy has become so pervasive that even when we don’t agree with it, we find we have become indoctrinated, often without even realizing it. The need for a biblical view of womanhood is needed more than ever before. We need a biblical model to follow so that our homes can be beacons of safety in the rough seas of today’s world.”
“We so often think of the feminist movement as a 20th century idea, but the early church had to deal with this dangerous philosophy also. The MacArthur Study Bible, in the notes concerning Titus 2:3-5 states, “’The ideas of radical feminism were an integral part of ancient Babylonian and Assyrian mythology as well as of Greek Gnosticism, which flourished throughout the Roman Empire during N.T. times and posed a constant danger to the early church. Modern feminism is neither new nor progressive; it is age-old and regressive.’ The priorities set out for women in this passage are timeless and ever applicable.”
Lisa adds, “We need to understand God’s plan for womanhood so that we can cultivate proper attitudes toward the roles of wife, mother, and homemaker. Titus 2:3-5 is not the only place to read about God’s priorities for women, but within three verses it concisely and succinctly defines a woman’s role and calling. It reveals God’s priorities for women and the high standard of godly character all women are to embody. It addresses the priorities and ministries of women, whether in youth or old age. This passage is extremely practical and straightforward, leaving a well marked path for us to follow.”
Ladies, it is my heart’s desire that God Himself would kindle a passion in our heart’s and minds to live lives that are pleasing to Him. And it is my prayer that God with the help of His Spirit would give us all the resolve to purposely love and live out God’s “timeless and ever applicable” priorities set out before us in Titus 2:3-5.
You may ask me, why are you so passionate about this, Christyn? Because God is! He desires that the motivations of our hearts come in line with His will for our lives. He desires that we bring glory to His great name through trusting and obeying His Word. The motivation behind our joyful obedience to these commands in Titus 2:3-5 is stated crystal clear in vs.5, “…so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”
Ladies, let’s become women in this generation who stand courageously firm on this well marked path of biblical womanhood set before us and by God’s help and grace blaze the path for the next generation! Let’s not bring shame on the Word of God or treat it as a lie by disobeying God’s revealed will for us in the church of Jesus Christ and in the world today. It is my prayer that our homes can truly become “beacons of safety in the rough seas of today’s world” more than ever before!
Let’s meditate on what Lisa shares at the end of the introduction to her book,
“Let the words from the hymn below reside as a prayer in your heart while you read in the pages to come about God’s priorities. And then may that prayer rise as an anthem of your commitment to God’s will for your life as you live your life all for Jesus! (pg.8)
All for Jesus, all for Jesus
All my being’s ransomed pow’rs:
All my tho’ts and words and doings,
All my days and all my hours.
Let my hands perform His bidding,
Let my feet run in His ways;
Let my eyes see Jesus only,
Let my lips speak forth His praise.
O that we would be women who would not ignore God’s Word but be ignited by it and that we would bring greater glory to our precious Saviour, Redeemer and Friend in the days ahead! “All for Jesus!”
With love and gratitude and prayer in my hearts for you all,
Christyn
Chapter Summaries:
PART 1 -- THE CALL TO FOLLOW GOD’S PRIORITIES
Chapter 1 Summary - God’s Unchanging Priorities for You
Related Sermon: Sound Doctrine Backed by Sound Living
Chapter 2 Summary - "The" Mindset for Every Woman
Chapter 3 Summary - From Youth to Maturity
Related article: Psalm 71 - Growing Old Intentionally
Chapter 4 Summary - The Art of Growing in Holiness
Chapter 5 Summary - The Art of Speaking Pleasant Words
Chapter 6 Summary - The Art of Self-Control
PART 2 – THE ART OF FOLLOWING GOD’S PRIORITIES
"Grow in Grace and Knowledge" Winter/Spring 2021
Related article: Grow in Grace and Knowledge
Chapter 7 Summary - The Art of Sharing and Seeking Wisdom
Chapter 8 Summary - The Art of Loving Your Husband
Chapter 9 Summary - The Art of Loving Your Children
Chapter 10 Summary - The Art of Living Sensibly
Chapter 11 Summary - The Art of Pursuing Purity
Chapter 12 Summary - The Art of Caring for Your Home
Chapter 13 Summary - The Art of Showing Kindness