I wrote this as I read letter after letter from women letting other women know how they found it when women gathered together to pray together or meet to study even women’s topics of bible study as they said it was often a time of gossip or women encouraging them to go against their husbands…
I have to admit I am surprised by this topic. i see this as a sin issue, when women cannot get together to pray together without gossiping or falling into sin, something is wrong, not something to be avoided.
i think it can lead to sin, sometimes, but i do not think that is a reason it should always be avoided. Instead, I could tell you sad stories on the other side.
I think in the bible, women are commanded to teach other women on certain topics and they should use the scriptures to teach this. It takes the fruit of the spirit to love our husbands, love our children and if we cannot connect scripture in our lives and learn how to be like Sarah, Ruth, Esther and others whom we see as examples through the scripture, I am not sure what use we will be as women.
We do see examples in scripture of women speaking of holy things,
It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Luke 24:10, 11, KJV.
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. Acts 1:14, KJV.
But of course mainly this verse….
The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, Titus 2:3, 4, KJV.
Teachers of good things……I think we need to go back to the bible and if women are not able to teach others how to learn the scripture without gossip, turning against ones husband and not be encouraging us how to be better mothers, wives etc. We have a sin issue we need to deal with.
I have been part of a bible study that did that very thing, we did study the scripture, how it encouraged us to be better wives and mothers, we were able to lift one another up in prayer as one young mother struggled with her temper with her children as they made messes, another wife….as she struggled as her husband looked for a job that fit him, how to support him in his search….
I believe by discounting the power of women in prayer for their families, to be better wives and mothers you are missing a great blessing. Yes, it can lead to sin, but so can cooking (overeating) or sewing (vanity)….but I think we need to look in our hearts and see how to follow these commands, instead of leaving so many young wives and mothers without mentors and watching marriages fall apart from lack of encouragement.
I have watched as older women who are very godly, are not doing as they are commanded, they are focusing on their children only and not reaching out at all to other young mothers around them. I have watched as people almost lost their faith because of lack of encouragement and i think there is a huge reason why we are commanded in the scripture for the older women to do this.
This is a good topic…thanks for having the guts to post it. =)
Thanks!!= ) It got posted actually on a forum of like 1000 women that often has alot comments back, but thankfully, only one and it was not too bad….