CRANKY OLDER WOMEN OF THE BIBLE

IN MY LAST BLOG, I WAS DOING MY BEST TO "INSPIRE" OLDER WOMEN OF GOD TO UNDERSTAND THAT  

GOD WASN'T TRYING TO FILL UP SPACE IN THE BIBLE WHEN HE TOLD THE OLDER WOMEN TO "MENTOR" AND "TEACH" THE YOUNGER ONES. HE EXPECTS US TO OBEY HIM.

Everything about God is always about others.  God didn't NEED to save the planet. He didn't NEED to send His Only Son, Jesus, to take away our sin.  He didn't NEED to send His Spirit to comfort and guide us.  HE WANTED TO.  HE LOVED US.

We learn from God's example that REAL LOVE is always given on a volunteer basis. If you are BEING forced to do something, if you are DOING SOMETHING to earn some kind of Heavenly brownie points... and you aren't doing it  from a motive of love.... then you aren't impressing anyone but yourself.  No one in heaven gets thrilled about a person who is doing something to improve or promote themselves.

When we have HIS HEART we will UNDERSTAND that God's love is given to us so that it can be processed THROUGH us to others.. especially to THOSE YOUNGER WOMEN IN THE BODY OF CHRIST!!  Are you willing to be that vessel? You should be.  You really, really should be.

BUT TAKE HEART.... 
If you have been a cranky older woman who spends her time "tsk tsk-ing" at the "younger generation" instead of getting in there and loving them... giving yourself to them... showing them Jesus power and His ability to guide a family and the woman who is the hub of that family... then... I am tempted to say, "STAND UP SISTER.  GET MOVING."  But.. I want to encourage you with the truth that the Bible is filled with cranky older women... who... eventually... became women that God used to change generations that followed her.

WOMEN LIKE:

SARAH. Yes.. yes.. we know that she is an example to all of us of how to respect and honor our husbands... but... as every mother knows when someone mistreats our kids...... OR MAKES FUN OF THEM.. MAKES FUN OF THEM?? LIKE Ishmael was making fun of Isaac?? Oh yeah... that's a no, no.    Genesis 21 shows us that Sarah became SO CRANKY at the slave woman who had borne Abraham a son that she INSISTED the woman be banished to the cruel desert.  Just "take a hike honey."  Now that's CRANKY.

NAOMI.   If you do a little background checking you will see that Jewish custom was that Naomi was responsible for these two "heathen" daughters-in-law that her sons had married while they were in a heathen land. (The fact that they WERE in a heathen land is indication of their faith in God providing.. but that's another story for another day...)  SO when Naomi was insisting her daughters-in-law go back to their families... she was SHIRKING HER GOD APPOINTED RESPONSIBILITY.   She identified herself as a bitter woman (RUTH 1:20-21).. and we understand that life had been difficult for Naomi.. She'd lost her husband and both sons.  She was a widow without a thing.  Her family, her wealth, her pride... had all been stripped away..

Eventually... she did do what she was SUPPOSED to do concerning Ruth.. and because of her grudging mentoring... her grandchildren... and their grandchildren became the ANCESTORS OF JESUS.

DEAR OLDER Sister in the Lord,  
Maybe some of your testings and trials have been allowed by God so that you can be an example to the younger women who follow you.

Maybe you think God has been unfair to you.  That isn't true.. and is never an excuse for shirking your GOD-GIVEN task to the younger wives around you.

You may be correct when you say younger women are not willing to be taught.
TEACH THEM ANYWAY.
You may be correct when you say your life has been difficult and you haven't always done the right and Godly thing.
TEACH THEM ANYWAY... even if it's just to say, "This is what happens when you try to run your life yourself instead of letting God do it."

YOU HAVE BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE.   The Only Son of The Only God BOUGHT YOU.
"You are NOT your own."

GOD IS RAISING UP A NEW GENERATION OF OLDER WOMEN WHO WILL TAKE THEIR PLACE IN FIGHTING THE ENEMY OF HUMANITY.. AND BRINGING THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD'S MERCY TO EVERYONE THEY MEET.

YOU ALREADY JOINED THE ARMY.
ARE YOU FIGHTING?
ARE YOU A.W.O.L.?

Stand up Sister.
It's time.
I love you.
Mrs. Older. 
BTW thank you to the dozens of you who have signed up (upper right corner) to receive this via email in the just the last two weeks.