Bighearted and Courteous at Home- Titus 3:2b

"God’s people should be bighearted and courteous." (Titus 3:2b)

I was praying while I was reading Titus 3 and these words jumped off the page at me. They are really there as part of a description of what loving Christians should be like in a world that doesn't know Jesus. Paul desperately wants us to know how to survive in this world when we are not of this world. And we are failing.

At church several months ago, we watched this video of several of our members asking people on the streets to describe what they think of when they hear the word "Christian" in just one word. The word they used most often? Hypocrite. Dictionary.com defines it this way- "a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs."

The world at large thinks that we are pretending. We are doing a terrible job, in general, of representing Jesus when we leave the four church walls. How can anyone believe that we actually "love our neighbors" as the Bible calls us to do in Mark 12:31 when we spend our days fighting with them or when we are anything but loving on social media with anyone who doesn't agree with us? Why should they believe that we are offering extravagant love to the world as described in Ephesians 5:1-2 when we aren't even giving basic love to our own spouses and children?

So bighearted and courteous? We can't manage loving as a people group. How are we going to do "bighearted?"

I'm sure that you saw this coming considering all we've talked about throughout this week, but it starts at home. It starts with your own family, your own spouse, your own children, the in-laws, the extended family. Begin by showing them that you love them more than you love yourself and that their needs are more important than your own.

I honestly hate to even write this story out, but it's screaming "example" to me right now. As I sat down to write this final post for the book of Titus, I kept being interrupted.

"Mommy! Look at Fuzzy!"

"Can we go outside?"

"Can I see if my friends can play?"

"I can't find my black bathing suit anywhere! Do you know where it is?"

I hit my wit's end. Though I just finished studying Ecclesiastes 9 today where Solomon gives great reasons why yelling and screaming "like a fool" (his words, not mine) are not a good plan, I went ahead and snapped at my children anyway. I mean seriously, can't they see that I am trying to share Jesus with the twenty people that my blog tells me actually click on my link? Or maybe it's just my mom clicking a bunch of times, who knows?

So it's ironic to me that now that I am actually getting a quiet moment (Picture me ridiculously telling my children to stay in their rooms to play or go outside but don't interrupt me unless you are injured), I am supposed to be writing about being "bighearted and courteous." I am neither of those things. Where's the verses on being dramatic and slightly self-centered? I can bang out a post on those. Need to hear my thoughts on why it's important for a husband to cook dinner over the weekend? Sign me up. I have great arguments. Want to hear why the letter "C" needs to either leave the English language or adopt the sound for "CH?" Because I have an amazing argument for that one too- I have a serious passion for it. Really.

Bighearted and courteous? No, just no. But this is where Jesus is leading me and so this is where I will go. We'll start with being courteous since I think I can figure that one out faster than "bighearted."

I'm a word girl so the place I like to start when I'm trying to figure something out is the dictionary. And dictionary.com defines courteous like this- "having or showing good manners; polite." Being courteous starts with the little things. Saying please and thank you, apologizing when you're wrong (yeah, yeah, I'll go tell them I'm sorry when I'm done with this post), holding the door for each other, and offering to pick something up at the store when you're there. Those are some of the good manners described in that definition.

But it's more than that too. It's about thinking of the other person (or people as the case may be) before you think about yourself each and every time. It's about taking a deep breath and thinking about what you're about to say rather than just spewing word vomit all over your family member. You wouldn't do it in public (or maybe some would, but you shouldn't), so don't do it at home. Embrace the word "polite" from the definition at home too.

So how can I show my kids or my husband that I love them today? Unfortunately, at my house, this one is easily answered but hard to execute. One of the easiest ways for me to be courteous to my kids right now and show them that they are important to me is to share my tater tots. I don't like sharing my tater tots. I like eating my tater tots. In fact, I am secretly eating tater tots right now while my kids hide from their drama queen mom in their rooms. And I am feeling a little guilty about that...so let's look at "bighearted."

Sadly, when I think of "bighearted" my first thoughts ALSO go to sharing my tater tots with my kids because the dictionary says that "bighearted" is all about being "generous and kind." Sigh. I'll be right back...I really hope that sharing those earned me some good mom points, but I'm betting it won't be a part of their thank you speeches at graduation and it definitely won't be brought up on their wedding days.

Let's not just talk about the problem with no real solutions. I'm going to give you a list of ideas to use to be bighearted and courteous in your home and another to start demonstrating it in your community. It's my prayer that we can move forward from here and change that one describing word for Christians from "hypocrite" to "loving." Here's my list of ideas. It is not exhaustive. I would love to hear any that you have as well if you want to add your thoughts in the comments below.

1. For your spouse: Go on a date, make their favorite meal, help with a chore that is normally theirs, ask them outright if you can make their day better somehow, work on something that your spouse stuck on a list of things that he/she would like to get done but hasn't, if they're into gifts then buy them something, write them a nice letter, pray for them and with them.

2. For your children: Take each of them on their own date, buy them something fun, jump on the trampoline together, go swimming together, play tag or hide and seek outside, have a Nerf battle, play a board game together, play a video game together, listen when they talk to you, draw together, color together, teach them to bake or cook something, sit with them and answer questions kindly when helping with homework, read a book together, read the Bible together.

3. Community: Make a meal for a new mom, give some groceries to a family that just lost a job, bring cookies to the new neighbor, talk to your neighbors and get to know them, help them with outdoor chores (mowing the lawn, weeding flower beds, shoveling sidewalks, feeding chickens), donate food to a food bank, volunteer at church, volunteer at a nonprofit in your area, babysit.

I just want to close by saying that it is my sincere prayer that this post was valuable to you somehow today, that you heard Jesus speak to your heart somewhere amongst the thousand or so words that are here. Honestly, I struggled with this one as I was writing it a week early in preparation for not being around to write it exactly a week from now when it appears on my blog. I'm feeling crunched for time, but still long to share Jesus with whoever visits this blog. So if it feels a little disjointed, please know that I am sorry for that and am so thankful that Jesus can even use my scattered mess to speak love to others. Remember, don't just be blessed today. Be a blessing to someone else too. 

It's Tough Being a Man, Lift Yours Up: Titus 2:1-2, 6-8 MSG

"Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine. Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance." (Titus 2:1-2)

"Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives. But mostly, show them all this by doing it yourself, incorruptible in your teaching, your words solid and sane. Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around." (Titus 2:6-8)

Let me start this by stating the obvious. I'm not a man, nor will I ever be. I have no desire to be a man and I'm so eternally thankful that God looked at me and said, "You know, I think she'll make a fantastic woman." And PS, I am pretty sure he also looked around after making Shaun and said, "This is the one. She's the one he needs. And man, will she ever need him." But that's a different post. Sorry, I saw that shiny opportunity and just had to jump on it. ;)

If being a woman is tough these days, I have to say that I think it's even harder to be a man. Turn on any kids' show or TV sitcom and you'll see what the world thinks of men. They're all hilarious, slightly stupid (in some cases very stupid), bumbling idiots. Dads make zero decisions and are only occasional "babysitters." They mess up constantly and they would crash and burn through life without their brilliant wives. As a society, we are screwing this one up royally. We are raising our little boys to be bigger versions of their little boy selves rather than teaching them what it truly means to be an actual man. And every single person is suffering for it.

If we want to raise our boys to be men, it starts with honoring and respecting their fathers. Like it or not, your children have a father given to them by Jesus himself. If he is not in your life currently (and even if he shouldn't be), that's okay. You can still respect him by not badmouthing him to his children. You can still pray for him and his spiritual walk every day. And just so you know, I'm not talking out my butt here. I have an ex-husband that I'm not overly fond of and with whom I have a history that I won't be sharing here. We shared a son. And while my husband of fourteen years adopted him long ago, I still refuse to badmouth his biological father to him (and trust me, I have plenty of useable material). I will not do it. He knows the basics of why our relationship ended and that's enough. I pray for him regularly, that when my son is one day ready to reach out to him, that bio dad is in a place spiritually and emotionally where it can be a good thing for them both. I pray for protection of my son's heart and wisdom for them both to know whether any sort of relationship is a good idea.

If the father of your children is still your husband today, you have a slightly easier job ahead of you. There are a ton of things that you can do every day that speak the language of respect to your husband while also setting a good example for your children. Show them that their dad is your priority. When he speaks to you, listen completely. Let him be in charge now and then. Don't take over the moment things look like they're getting tough. And, unless his decision could be harmful to someone (think accidental exposure to allergens or something), don't go against what he said with your kids. Talk to him about that decision later. Thank him for working hard for your family. Tell him you appreciate how hard he works every day. Don't just take him for granted on this. Cook dinner. Make that dish he loves and serve it to him. Send him a text, tag him in a meme on Facebook, add a picture together on Instagram. Pray for him and with him. Let the kids see it. Let them see you loving your husband by holding his hand, sitting together on the couch, going for walks hand in hand, playing games together with the kids, shopping together. The list goes on and on. Everything we do every single day says something. All of those little, seemingly insignificant moments add up fast.

And if your husband isn't into any of the above, figure out what works for him. Every guy is different. Every guy hears "respect" differently. You know your man, what will say, "I respect you" the most for him? Because respect is often a number one priority for men. Having it, feeling like his wife has his back, leaves him the space he needs to be the better man God is calling him to be. Growth happens on God's time, not ours.

I always feel like I have to explain myself with these posts. I'm not saying that you are responsible for your husband's attitude or his happiness. Those are his choices. But there are still things you can do yourself in your own relationship. Think about the things that you'd do for your best friend. Are there any ideas that you can apply to your relationship with your husband?

One final thought if you're still with me before I pray for us about this one. If we want to raise responsible, world changing, respectful kids into adults, we need to be giving them responsibilities. Moms, teach your boys how to do chores, how to guard a girl's heart, and how to hold a door for others as they enter a building. Dads, demonstrate guarding a girl's heart every day by doing that with your wife- their mom- and any daughters you may have. Choose your words wisely. Build her up. Tell her she's beautiful. Tell her you appreciate the million things she does without thanks every day. Ask for her advice on the things that are her strength but your weakness. They need to see it to do it.

Show them that real men do dishes and help with dinner. Show them how to really step up and lead by being a leader that serves his family without question or complaint. Demonstrate real love to them, the kind that loves them, and everyone else, without conditions. Yell less and listen more. Get off your phone and play with your kids because they don't stay little for long and soon, they won't want to hang out with you.

Let me end with a prayer for us:

Lord,

Today, I pray that we can approach our marriage relationships with a fresh set of eyes. Help us to see our husbands as the partners and friends you've created them to be. Help us to demonstrate respect for our children so they can grow to be respectful men and women themselves. Give us great ideas and the motivation required to show respect to our husbands. And Lord, may our husbands receive our efforts well. Please let no woman walk away from this post feeling anything but encouraged and uplifted. Give her "ears to hear" what I'm desperately trying to share here in my own imperfect way. Help us to step up and be the parents you've designed us to be on the teams you've designed for us. Thank you for loving us.

Amen.

Women Teaching Women: Titus 2:3-5, 11-13 NLT

"Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God." (Titus 2:3-5)

When I first read these verses, I was tempted to make some cuts and pretty them up for you. I mean, who really wants to picture drunk old ladies sitting around gossiping the day away? But despite all of that, I love the image that James has painted in these verses. In our society today, older women (and men for that matter, but that's a different post for a different day) are often cast aside and deemed "not worthy" or "no longer valuable." And we couldn't be more wrong if we tried to be! Older women are so full of knowledge and invaluable life experience that we are stupid to ignore all that they have to offer in the way of advice.

In my family, for example, I have (or had in some cases) women who have beautiful cursive handwriting, serious typing skills, the ability to crochet, some amazing family recipes to share, stellar marriages, successful children, impressive stick-to-it-iveness, the patience of ten saints (okay, I'm exaggerating), a lovely adoration for animals, hilarious senses of humor, the ability to think outside of the box, empathy coming out of every crevice, fierce loyalty, and much more. And that's just off the top of my head.

If one of the things that I'm trying to work on is patience and I know that my mom is extremely patient, for example, wouldn't it be ridiculous to not allow her to come alongside me and mentor me in this area? 2 Corinthians 1:4 talks about this very idea. Paul wrote there that we go through things with God sometimes and are then able to come alongside others to help them as they go through those things.

When I was a little girl just learning cursive, I needed a lot of practice. So do you know what my mom did? She followed this idea that James outlines exactly and connected me with my Great Grandma. For years, that sweet woman wrote me beautiful letters in her scrawling cursive handwriting so that I could practice reading it. She added prayers for my life and told me all about what she was doing hundreds of miles away from me. She looked forward to each and every one of my letters that I painstakingly wrote in broken cursive. Those letters helped me develop that simple skill (and honestly so much more) while giving my Great Grandma a connection with a family member, one that I still value so many years later though she went to heaven long ago.

God put the need for relationship into every single human heart. He created us to desire fellowship with one another because we often need it in order to grow to our fullest potential in Christ. How can we develop patience if we never practice that skill on others? How can we demonstrate fierce loyalty without someone to whom we are actively fiercely loyal? Can you become a better cook or baker if you never practice? Will your writing ever be pretty like my Great Grandma's if you don't take the time to make it so?

This amazing relationship between older and younger women that James is describing here serves both sides. On the younger side, new skills are developed. Old skills are lifted up and strengthened. A beautiful bond is formed between a younger woman and her older counterpart. On the older side, new friendships are forged. A previously lost worth is found again. A crazy, horrible time in her life suddenly makes some tiny degree of sense as she comes alongside a younger woman going through the same thing she experienced five years ago, ten years ago, twenty years ago.

And we should never be just one or the other. I'm only 35 years old right now, hardly old by any stretch of the imagination, but I play the younger woman to lots of older women in my life while also playing the older woman to many younger women in my life. We can and should be both through just about every part of our lives because there are lessons to be learned from both sides.

Today I went to end with these questions:

1. How do you feel about this idea of mentoring other women?

2. Who are you playing mentor to as an older woman? If there's no one yet, who could you be mentoring? Think about younger women at church, maybe join a Mom's Group as a Mentor, serve in a kids' class, etc.

3. Who are the mentors that you are valuing in your life right now?

4. Are there any older women in your life that you aren't valuing? What do you think God wants you to learn from them (because they are there for a reason!)?

And finally, my prayer for our day today is wrapped beautifully in these verses from the end of Titus 2:

"For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed." (Titus 2:11-13)

Effective Leadership in the Home- Titus 1:6-9 MSG

"Appoint leaders in every town according to my instructions. As you select them, ask, 'Is this man well-thought-of? Is he committed to his wife? Are his children believers? Do they respect him and stay out of trouble?' It’s important that a church leader, responsible for the affairs in God’s house, be looked up to—not pushy, not short-tempered, not a drunk, not a bully, not money-hungry. He must welcome people, be helpful, wise, fair, reverent, have a good grip on himself, and have a good grip on the Message, knowing how to use the truth to either spur people on in knowledge or stop them in their tracks if they oppose it." (Titus 1:6-9)

Today, I'd like to apply these qualities of a good leader in the church to good leadership in the home. How can we use this list to be better husbands and wives? To be a better team? To be better team leaders over our children? Well, let's look at Paul's questions in order to answer our own.

1. Is this man well-thought-of? Do you care about your reputation? Because Paul is saying here that you should. A good reputation is important. What others think of you is important. Whether we like it or not, our reputation precedes us as we go through life. What others think of us helps to determine in some way how they will receive what we have to say to them. If you have a reputation in the here and now for being a jerk, for example, how well will your message of loving others be received?

Think about Paul's reputation before he became the Paul that we all know and love. He was a pharisee intent on destroying new Christians. He wanted them dead and gone. He stood by and watched as their beloved Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 7:54-60). How difficult was it, then, for him to spread Jesus' message with that reputation after he changed? It took him a good while to get past it and be embraced for the newly transformed man that he was. In fact, if you think about it, it took a good partner in the faith being on his side and lifting him up as a believer for the difference to happen (Barnabas).

As a spouse, what we say and think of our significant other matters too. If all you ever tell your best friend about your husband is the bad stuff, how can you expect her to like him when your families hang out together? And a related but definitely important question: Are you believing the best of your spouse? When he's late getting home, do you imagine that he's out drinking with his friends or being flirty with a girl in his office? Or do you know that he longs to be home just as much as you wish he were, that if it were his choice, he would choose to be home with you? When you hear something about him from others, do you automatically believe it or do you give him the benefit of the doubt?

2. Is he committed to his wife? It's hard to be an active and effective team when you aren't sure that all the players are totally committed to the game you're playing or on the team of which you are a part. Total commitment is vital to the success of a good marriage. Show your spouse your commitment every day. Send texts saying how much you love one another. Do chores around the house that make life easier for the other person. Hold hands in public. Wear your wedding rings always. Consult each other on big events before committing to them. Listen to one another when you're talking. Make time for just each other. Be best friends. Actively love each other daily. Pray together and for one another all the time.

And wives, honestly, put your husband above your kids. He is the God-ordained head of your house. Prioritize him above them. Be on his team, not theirs, if it comes down to it. Present a united front to the kids. Don't let them see any cracks anywhere, because they'll pick at those in order to get their own way. If you have young kids, you probably won't be seeing this stuff yet. Trust me, it's coming. Practice being a solid united front now so that when you have teenagers in the house, it's a lot easier to handle. Is it easy to do? Absolutely not, but it's worth the effort.

*Before anyone says it, I am not talking about unhealthy relationships here. Abuse in any form isn't acceptable period. If there are substance abuse issues present in the house, that requires a whole new set of rules that you need to get from a professional as well. My thoughts on this are my own and apply only to couples with Christ as the center of their relationship where both sides are actively loving Jesus and one another, who seek to make their good relationship great or their struggling relationship better.*

3. Are his children believers? As the team leaders in your family, it's the parents' responsibility to share Jesus with the family. While it is the husband that God is ultimately holding responsible for the teaching of His Word, it's the wife who is supposed to be backing him up and supporting him as he does it. Sometimes that means some "atta boys" and "well dones," while other times it might mean taking that baton for awhile as he is tired out from his leg of the race at the moment. Either way, work together. It may be on the parents to share Jesus and what he has done, but it's on each individual to accept it.

There are lots of things you can do to make sure that Jesus is a daily part of your life. Read your Bible on your own and as a family. Let them see you studying God's word and praying for guidance. Pray with your kids in good times and bad ones. Go to church. Don't make excuses or prioritize other things above it. Just go. Talk about what Jesus would do. Your husband can demonstrate God's love in your home by loving you the way Christ loves the church. Demonstrate true respect by respecting your husband the way that God calls us to. And make sure that your children are witnessing the mutual submission between you! Ephesians 5 makes it clear that isn't all about wives submitting to husbands, but about mutual submission to one another.

4. Do they [the children] respect him and stay out of trouble? This one is tough in my opinion. In a perfect world, we would tell our kids to do or not do something and they'd do it, right? Without arguments or complaints. But we don't live in a perfect world. So how do we apply that to leading in the home?

One thing that I think inspires respect from one's children is establishing rules and then following through on consequences for breaking those rules each and every time. Kids are pushers. They push the boundaries. They push the limits. They push you. They push each other. They push against every single barrier that they come across because they need to know where "yes" ends and "no" begins. It makes them feel safer. They know what to expect in a world where the parents say no sometimes.

You want your kids to respect you? Tell them no when you need to and be willing to die on the important hills. Don't die on every stupid hill that you come across though. That's just begging for trouble. Pick the big ones and then go for it. They need to know that you- together and united- are making and keeping the rules. Is a regular bedtime a big hill for you? Then be willing to die on it. Enforce it. Send them back a hundred times if necessary. Take no excuses. Maybe for you, limited screentime is the hill worth dying on. Then do it. Set timers. Take screens away. Maybe it's bigger than that. Maybe it's the friends they've picked or the curfew they miss too often or the locked bedroom door (behind which you wonder what is happening).

Do what you need to do (I am clearly not advocating abuse here), but do it every single time. You can't let it go half of the time and then be surprised when the kids don't listen. You have effectively taught them that you only mean what you say 50% of the time. So half of the time, they can just ignore you. What kid wouldn't take that bet? I know mine do. I'm working on this myself around here!

And I think I need to add something. Sometimes, no matter how many rules you put into place, no matter how consistent you are, no matter how many open door policies you try out, your kids don't listen. They rebel. They do things their own way. They make choices that go against everything you taught them. That doesn't mean you're a failure or that your kid is evil. It means that you're both human. Keep praying. Get some close family members and friends together to pray for your child. Do NOT give up. Keep showing them that you love them and that you care about them. They are worth it. Jesus did it for us on the cross and continues to chase after us every single day. We can at least attempt to love our kids like that.

From there, Paul goes on to list out positive and negative characteristics to watch out for. Here's the list again:

"It’s important that a church leader, responsible for the affairs in God’s house, be looked up to—not pushy, not short-tempered, not a drunk, not a bully, not money-hungry. He must welcome people, be helpful, wise, fair, reverent, have a good grip on himself, and have a good grip on the Message, knowing how to use the truth to either spur people on in knowledge or stop them in their tracks if they oppose it." (Titus 1:7-9)

Essentially Paul is saying that if you want to be a good and effective leader, you need to cut out all of the negatives and embrace all of those positives. There is no room for drunken bullies on a good family team. You can't be money-hungry and expect to lead your family well. It says in Matthew that a man can't serve two masters (in reference to money vs God). You have to pick one and if you want a great family, then God is the one you need to choose here.

Take a look at the list of positive traits that Paul gave in the verses above. Which ones are you already great at? Which ones is your spouse good at? Which ones do you need to work on? Which ones would your spouse say you need to work on? Once you have your list, take a minute and talk to God about what you can do to start changing some of the things you're doing in your family today. Every single person in the world can work on making themselves better for Jesus. I pray that we can all come together as family teams, starting today, and be better leaders.  

An Introduction to the Book of Titus- Titus 1:1-5 NLT

This week I want to take a look at Titus. I know a Titus in real life. He is adorable, funny, smart, intuitive, and such a people person. He is just a tiny guy and part of our family, actually. We normally spend time with him around now in the summer and so maybe that's why I feel a prodding to study this book that this sweet little boy was named for.

Titus was actually a Gentile man (Galatians 2:4) who followed along with Paul in his mission (Galatians 2:1) to spread the truth of Jesus to the entire known world. This is no small assignment. In fact, Paul spends much of this letter calling us away from the ordinary life and into an extraordinary life serving God. He wants to see us use our God-given gifts and talents to serve God and introduce others to Him.

Remember that Paul was the one who wrote much of the New Testament as we know it today after spending a portion of his life as a Jewish pharisee, persecuting the new believers. Everything changed when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. His life was forever changed after that and Jesus has been using him ever since to change our lives as well.

Paul is actually the author of this book, this letter that is written to Titus. The first verses in this book tell us so. They also explain why Paul is writing:

"This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. 2 This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began. 3 And now at just the right time he has revealed this message, which we announce to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him.

4 I am writing to Titus, my true son in the faith that we share.

May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace." (Titus 1:1-4)

If we read on, we can also see when Paul wrote it and what Titus' purpose was there:

"I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you." (Titus 1:5)

Now within five verses, we know that Paul is writing to Titus just after leaving him to spread the message of Jesus and appoint elders on the Island of Crete. There's something else to see in these lines too, though. Paul actually tells us that he is not only a "slave to Christ (a master-slave position)" but that he has also chosen this position (apostle of Jesus Christ). An apostle was chosen and sent by Christ himself. In this letter to Titus, and in several of his other letters, Paul identifies himself as someone who willingly serves Christ.

But what else do we know about Titus? We know that Paul considered him his "true son in the faith" that they both shared. Keep in mind that Paul never had any children of his own nor did he marry. So calling Titus his son is an expression of father-like love for this man that he loves as a son. He also references him as a companion alongside Barnabas in Galatians 2:1. Therefore it's safe to assume that Titus was a really close friend of Paul's who was also working to introduce others to Jesus. And more than anything, Paul longed to see Titus and the people of Crete knowing the real truth that comes from God not the fake truth that the false prophets were teaching all around them.

We know little else about Titus, but the letter that Paul wrote to this man of the faith serves us in a big way today. From it, we gain a list of what to look for in church leaders (elders). We see the importance of right teaching and making good choices. But most importantly, we read Paul's message of HOPE, Christian Hope which is so much more than some uncertainty of the future. It's a promise grounded in the words of God. The Book of Titus is tiny but packs a big message. It'll be great to dig into this little book of the Bible over the next week.

And as we do so, we are going to unpack Paul's messages and apply them to family life. How can we serve our families as a team? What does a strong and uplifting mentor relationship look like between women? How can we, as women, lift our husbands up? What are some ways that we can be bighearted and courteous in our own homes? Join me this week as we strive to answer these questions.

It's my prayer that we come through this study of Titus with a different perspective, a powerful hope, a renewed sense of purpose, and that we are changed because of what we have learned. I can't wait to see what Jesus teaches us over the next several days.

* Bible Gateway Commentary about Titus, "Greeting:" https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Titus/Greeting-557