Guest blogged by Lindsay Swartz and Melanie Coppenger
Nancy Leigh DeMoss, mentor to countless women through Revive Our Hearts and the True Woman Movement, taught us from Titus 2, helping to define and unpack for us the true woman. During the first session of the True Woman Conference in Indianapolis, Miss DeMoss asked us three questions: What does a true woman look like? How can we become true women? What difference does it make whether or not we are true women? In order for us to understand the woman Paul is describing for us in Titus 2, we must look back at Titus 1, where we see a world of rebellious people, liars, gluttons, deceivers. The world Paul is describing to us is a culture much like the one we live in today. Would it be easy to become discouraged living in this type of world? Yes. But Paul does not say to lose heart or become more culturally relevant to be able to reach the world, instead he says to teach sound doctrine and to stay the course. A true woman is one tethered to the Word of God. It affects everything about her. Are you more familiar with the world, rather than the Word of God?
Miss DeMoss continued to define and describe for us how we can become true women, by breaking down Titus 2:3-5. A true woman is to teach and know sound doctrine, be a model to young believers, be reverent in behavior, not be a slanderer, not be a slave to much wine, love her husband, love her children, be self-controlled, pure, having a heart for home and embracing that role, kind-other centered, and submissive to their own husbands. The only way we can become true women of God is to confess that it is only through the grace of God we can be changed into true women, live in light of the future return of Christ, and reflect back to the power of the cross. This, of course, is to be the source of our godliness and makes us zealous for good works. So, does it really matter? Yes, we must live as a true woman so that the Word of God may not be reviled, that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us, and so that in everything we may adorn the doctrine of God in our behavior.
Not only does Miss DeMoss teach on being a true woman, but she is one herself. The illustrations and encouragement she provided to the 6,000 plus woman are more helpful and challenging because she herself is a living example. One of the greatest challenges she presented to us was that you can’t teach others what you have not learned or are not practicing yourself. You can’t claim to love God if you don’t love your family. You can’t faithfully train future generations if you are neglecting the children in your own family. You can’t train younger women, if you yourself are not currently immersed in the Word of God and prayer. Miss DeMoss read to us two letters she received from others who have been challenged by Holly Eliff and herself. The whole room was challenged to evaluate our current behavior and the way we reflect Christ and the Word of God to our families and the world.
Miss DeMoss closed the first session challenging all of us to become true women and to be open to surrendering the areas of our lives to God that cripple us from being all that God designed for us to be. What a joy it was to sit under Miss DeMoss’ teaching tonight!