Titus 2

Titus 2.3-5
…the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things–
that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

This passage gives us requirements, if you will, that qualify a woman for ministry in the local church. Paul lists them and it just so happens that reverent behavior is listed first. I do not believe that is merely happenstance, but rather intentional. Reverence, we will find, is foundational.

reverence: To consider or treat with profound awe and respect; venerate.

It is vital that we have learned reverence for God, to show respect to Him at all times, in all situations. We should be in awe of Him always. I think of Job when this qualification is being considered. At the end of the day (and it was, by any standard, a bad one) he bowed before the Lord and acknowledged who He was.

Job 1: 20-22 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

As women who are called to minister to husbands, children, and younger women, knowing who God is and readily acknowledging His Lordship is crucial. Without a real knowing of His sovereignty and greatness, of His faithful love that extends to the heavens, and of His unchangeable nature of love and mercy, we cannot minister truth and comfort in every situation. When some woman’s husband is acting disgracefully, we must be able to confidently assure her of His hand upon her life. When tragedy swoops in, taking a spouse, a child, a parent, a friend, we cannot truly lend comfort without a secure knowledge of His faithful love even in the midst of trauma. If your children or husband have been crushed by the difficulty of life circumstances, what will you buoy them with if you yourself have not learned to stand in awe of His great abiding power and love? If we have not learned to walk in tested and true reverence, we will not have the fruit of such reverence to give in time of need.

Several years ago our brand new church sanctuary burned to the ground. We had just finished building it debt-free. Men from our congregation had given much time, talent, and energy to see it completed. It was beautiful! One fateful night in January, it burned to the ground. To the ground. Nothing remained standing but two sets of cement stairs. They stood resistantly, leading nowhere, purposeless.

As many people from the congregation gathered around we watched the firefighters fight valiantly, but in the end they lost the battle. There was now a choice to be made. We could either succumb to doubt, anger, a “this isn’t fair” mentality or we could look up to Him. He was still watching over this little flock. He was still caring for us. His provision would come. And that was the choice we, as a congregation who called on His name, made. Great was our joy in the face of disaster! And great was His provision in the weeks and months to follow.

In the days shortly after the fire, I read a comforting verse in Proverbs.

Proverbs 28:14 Happy is the man who is always reverent, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

Those who have learned to walk in reverence will not have their happiness stolen away. Theirs is a true portion of joy. If we harden our hearts, failing to declare His love and faithfulness, we will know despair and trouble.

Paul is telling Titus to look for those with a proven track record. There is no doubt we will all have opportunities to be tested and tried. Will we show an understanding of reverence toward our Creator, the Lord of Hosts, the King of all kings, the Ruler of all? It is a foundational building block, vital to solid building, necessary for establishing line upon line, precept upon precept. Without true reverence, those other precepts may fall to the wayside.

We must first establish true reverence in our lives.