22. Commands and Examples of Faithful Femininity (1 Timothy 5:10-16)

This month, we’ve been talking about Biblical femininity and masculinity, and today, we are going to look at some examples of Biblical femininity. There are many examples of this topic throughout Scripture, but today, I would like to look at 1 Timothy 5:5-16. In this passage, Paul addresses the widows in the church, and in doing so, he shares some examples of what faithful femininity looks like.

Faithful femininity is devoted to Jesus

It’s all too easy to set rules for ourselves and think we’re doing well because we wear dresses almost every day when “Suzie-Q” over here doesn’t even wear a dress to church (bordering the line of a heathen, aren’t we?). But if we are simply following a list of man-made rules or current trends labeled as feminine (making our own sourdough bread, sewing our own clothing, wearing skirts that blow in the wind as we milk our very own dairy cow that gives us raw milk because we just can’t stand the pasteurized garbage), while neglecting the posture of our hearts, then we’re no better than the Pharisees.

Making your own sourdough, sewing, and wearing dresses and skirts are by no means bad, and I am in fact a proponent of them. I think they are worthy endeavors to follow, only IF you are doing them with a heart whose aim is to fear the Lord. Paul describes these widows who had been faithful to the Lord as ladies who had set their hope on God, devoted themselves to prayer, weren’t self-indulgent, were above reproach, and had a reputation for good works (1 Tim. 5:5-7). If our hope is in God, then our desires will be in line with His, for where our treasure (our hope) is, there our hearts will be also (Matthew 6:21).

So why did these Godly widows do good works? Because they saw what their Savior had done — conquered sin and death by His sacrificial death on the cross and His victorious resurrection, offering salvation to all who repent and believe in Him — and responded in gratitude with good words to glorify the One that saved them.

Why did these Godly widows devote themselves to prayer? Because they set their hope entirely on Him, trusting that He saved them and that His plan was better than theirs. They could laugh at the time to come because they KNEW their God was good, faithful, and sovereign over all, no matter what.

Why did these Godly widows live above reproach? Because they saw the tremendous sacrifice that their Savior made on the cross, taking on all of God’s righteous wrath for sinners, so that the ones who trust in Him would not experience an ounce of punishment for the sin that they rightly deserved. Instead, they would be given the righteousness of Jesus and would live forever with Him, and out of gratitude and love, served and obeyed Him in everything, not wanting His name to be profaned, but proclaimed and heralded as glorious!

Why did these Godly widows live as they did? They lived as they did because they were motivated by the Gospel, as it should be for you and me, dear sister. The Gospel should always be the motivator for why we live the way we live. The Gospel — the good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth to live a perfect life, and die the death that we deserved by taking on all the punishment for the sins of the world so that all who come to Him in faith, trusting that it is HIS life and death that saves, not your own works — this Gospel is what motivates us for living out God’s good design of faithful femininity. Not a set of rules or trends the world may set up for us, no matter how good they may look.

Faithful femininity is outward-focused

Primarily, the focus of a woman who fears the Lord is Jesus Himself, and as she sets her hope on God and commits herself to prayer (1 Tim. 5:5), she then looks to the needs of those in her household and in the church and cares for them.

We live in a generation that is all about self (though I am sure that this current generation is not the only one infected by this disease). Even in old age, people are expected to retire, finally throwing off all responsibilities and notions of serving others only to serve themselves and satisfy one’s own cravings.

I am not saying that we cannot enjoy rest. Rest is a gift from God, and rest should be enjoyed to God’s glory within our regular everyday life rhythms; yet, when it is at the expense of others, we are directly violating the example of what a Godly woman looks like.

Why? Because Christ Himself became a servant — Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, being found in human form, humbled Himself to death, even death on a cross for the sake of you and I, sinful wretches (see Philippians 2:1-11). Let us not forsake this beautiful opportunity you and I have, dear sister, of reflecting Christ in serving those in the home and in the Church.

Faithful femininity sees the value of a family

The family was God’s idea, so it is no wonder that His daughters should value it and care for their own families as Christ cares for His own. Family nowadays is seen as something that gets in the way of your dreams, your goals, and your passions. But that is completely contrary to the example we’ve been given in Christ — He gave us His own Son, so that the rebels, the sinners, the wretches could be made new in Christ, welcomed into His family, grafted in as parts of the Body to be given a perfect Heavenly Father who is actively involved in each and every one of His children’s lives, who has sacrificed to the utmost for them, and a family in Christ that is to love, support and serve one another.

Given this example, then, as women, we are to see our role as a helper to our family as a beautiful way to reflect the heart of God the Father, even as we wash their dishes, change their diapers, wash their laundry, go to their games, etc. All these things reflect the heart of Jesus, and women are to reflect it with joy and faithfulness.

Faithful femininity desires the glory of God more than the glory of self. And while we cannot live this out perfectly, we can look to our perfect example in Jesus, the one who gave Himself for us, so that God would be glorified in our saving, our sanctification, and one day, our glorification, and walk in faithful, daily obedience to Him. May we be faithfully devoted to Jesus, focused on serving those around us as Jesus did, and value the family He has given us for the sake of His glory and His glory alone.