Summertime. It’s that time when vacations are planned and more time given to relaxing with friends and loved ones. Whether you have children who are in school or you, yourself, are in school- there is a break from the day to day grind of homework, papers and projects. A little more space to breathe.
But if I’m honest, sometimes the slowing down leads me to become lazy and complacent in areas that I shouldn’t be. My spiritual life being one of them. And with bible study on break, I find the temptation to go outside and enjoy the sun and outdoor activities a little too much that I quickly forget what’s most important- my relationship with Christ.
So today, I’m pausing and praying about this next half of 2016. Reflecting on being a woman who majors on the majors and not the minors in life. This involves the call to fully serve Christ and His bride the church.
Her life was not her own and her heart’s purpose and passion was to serve.
One of the things that my pausing has led me to has been the loss of a godly woman, a friend, a sister- a spiritual momma, Jan Galla-rini. If anyone embodied the heart of Sisterhood, our women’s ministry at Lakeshore, it was Jan. She understood what it meant to be a woman of God- her life was not her own and her heart’s purpose and passion was to serve. And serve she did!
Interestingly, Jan was not what you would “naturally” characterize as a mover and shaker for God’s kingdom, but she was! She was wheelchair bound, much older in age, and had constant health challenges. But here is what she left with me to remember, a younger woman in the faith, who so desires to live for Christ: let nothing aside from death itself keep you from serving God and His bride, the church. Nothing.
Luke 1:38 “Behold, I AM the Lord’s servant,“
Jan modeled this to me. She modeled this to our whole church body. To the very last moment I spoke with Jan to the last time she left a voice message on my phone- Jan was about other people. She was requesting prayer for others and bringing their needs to someone who could help make a difference. Jan was surrendered to living for Jesus. It was never about her. She was the Lord’s servant.
John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Jan was a wise, older Titus 2 woman. And if you had the privilege of spending time with her, you were blessed. God’s design for the women in the local church, is that they do life with both older and younger women. Titus 2:3-5 Don’t miss out on that. There are spiritual riches to uncover when women do life together as God designed. Jan served her younger sisters well. And we were better for it!
So, my prayer is that perhaps you will stop to pause, evaluate and see where your life is at right now. Are you an older woman that God is nudging you to step out and disciple a younger woman? Or perhaps you are the younger woman who needs to find an older, mature woman to encourage you in your walk with God?
Wherever this finds you. Take a moment to pray and ask the Lord to give you a heart of obedience to His command “the older women are to teach the younger women what is good…” Titus 2:3-5. And when we live our lives in service for others, we keep ourselves growing spiritually and give no room for complacency- this pleases our Father in heaven!
Louise Moulton is a pastor's wife, mom, and nana to Haven Everly. Her passion is to encourage and equip women to live for God's glory