Today let's take a moment to consider a type of woman who is mentioned in the New Testament - the widow indeed. Now this is an older woman, which of course, none of us consider ourselves to be just yet. She has lived her life in service to others. She has lived brotherly kindness.
9 Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, 10 well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work. 1 Timothy 5
Notice that she has a reputation for doing good works because she diligently follows them. This seems to indicate a focus on finding some kind of good work to do regularly. Some of her works are specifically mentioned: being a wife, bringing up children, lodging strangers, serving the saints, relieving the afflicted... These are all acts of service. A good work is not necessarily some great deed for which you will be lauded by all. It is often just a little kindness that makes someone's load a little easier to bear.
A non-biblical example of such a woman in my own congregation is a single woman named Barbara. She is always on the lookout for something someone might need as she shops. Clothes, toys, food...she provides all kinds of things for the people in the congregation. One day she even showed up at my house to help me paint the back fence and weed the garden. Barbara is never in the limelight but always working. What a great example of brotherly kindness!
Today's assignment:
1. Take a few minutes to do a word search on "good works."
2. Share a passage with us and comment on what you learned, found interesting, or can apply to your life.
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