Friday, October 28, 2011

Being An Example

Tonight we will be giving a bridal shower for my friend Connie's daughter.  We are putting together a book of prayers and encouragement for her.  As I've thinking through exactly what I want to say, it hit me.  I'm old enough to be her mother.  I've really never thought about it before now.  I know it should be obvious, but I often forget just how old I really am.  It's certainly not because my body doesn't feel older than my age.  Maybe I'm just in denial.  I never really think about how much older I am than the younger mom's in my church.  Occasionally it will cross my mind but hardly ever.

I most certainly did last weekend though.  Our WIC Committee (Women In the Church) had a coffee on Saturday morning.  We spent some time talking about how we each can serve our church.  I seriously could not remember how many and what committees I am on.  I knew most of them, but I kept thinking I was forgetting one.  I asked Cheryl to remind me, but somehow we got preoccupied and didn't around to it until she was driving me home later that day.

"You do remember you are on the Titus 2 Committee, right?", she asked.

"No, I forgot."

"Well, do you want to stay on it?"

I admit my heart skipped a beat and with hesitation I said yes.  Not because I've I felt somewhat overwhelmed lately.  It's because it's a big responsibility and one I'm not so sure I'm good at.

Actually, I know I'm not good at it.

It's one thing to be on the Covenant Celebration committee (a.k.a shower committee).  I had given it up for awhile but agreed to do it again.  I love giving parties, even though it does become a challenge at times when you have so many opinions and different ideas.  The Church History committee is pretty simple.  It just requires putting together a book of all the events of our church for the year.

However, Titus 2 seems like a much bigger responsibility.

It's based on Titus 2:3-5.  The older women teaching the younger women.

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may [b]encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. 

I certainly don't think of myself as a good example of this.  I've sat across the table so many times from younger women and had them ask me for advice.  They've sat on my couch and poured out the hearts asking what should they do next.  I try to always point them to Jesus.  I say it with my words, but I so often fail in my walk.  I'm a hypocrite.

And what kind of example is that for my daughters?  I makes me panic and sick to my stomach to think about how I've failed in my walk and how hypocritical I've been.

Shouldn't the committee be made up of women who are better examples than I am?  Women who are better at walking the talk.

Maybe so.

But maybe ... just maybe ... being honest about my own failures will help someone else realize we all mess up, and we have to keep running to Jesus to confess where we messed up and ask Him to show us how to do better.

I think it will help me to be more accountable and put a deeper desire in my heart to seek the Lord.  We all should realize we are being watched from afar.  People are looking at how we behave and how we react.  I watch those around me.  Some more closely than others.  I need to remember someone, especially my daughters, are watching me closely.  Being on a committee that is responsible for coming up with ideas of how we can learn to be better friends,sisters, mothers and wives will make more deligent to fall to my knees and ask Him for His guidance.

I desperately need to being doing that.

I would not have chosen me to be on that committee.  I don't even understand why I agreed to it.  But I do know that the greatest example I can be to anyone is remind them that we all fall short.  They aren't alone.  None of us are the perfect example.  That's why we need Jesus.

Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. ~ Psalm 25:4

1 comment:

  1. I think it sounds like you're a fabulous addition to that committee.

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