Who Are the Real Widows?

138 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:5,6, “Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. 6 But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. (1 Ti 5:5,6) The Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul keeps referring to widows as “she.” This speaks much to the culture of that day. It was extremely difficult for a female widow to make it on her own in this culture, not so much for the male. So do we just read this portion of Scripture and say, “well this doesn't concern us, it was their culture, and their problem, not ours.” I don't think so. Remember, we talked last time about widows by strict definition are those with deficiencies. Their main deficiency being the lack of a spouse and a family support system. We still have women and men who because of the passing of a spouse, or the passing of a marriage via divorce, or the cold-shouldered treatment by their families find themselves in need. It is the local congregations responsibility to take on the role of family for these “widows.” But, wait, there is a stipulation to this care. In biblical times widows frequently gave themselves to service in the temple. Such was the case of Anna spoken of in Lu 2:37, “and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. The head of her family was God the Father and she diligently served Him and was taken care of by the offerings of the church. The same kind of offerings that the early church distributed to the true widows mentioned in Acts 7. But the church had no responsibility to take care of the widow, who departed from the family of God as evidenced by her carousing with the world. Such a widow has chosen the family of the world as opposed to the family of God! We should make note of these stipulations as we seek to care for those with deficiencies in our local congregation today. The widows of today must also make up their mind as to which family they want to belong to. It's not that the church utterly neglects the poor of society but our resources are first and foremost meant for those of the immediate family of God as it says in Ga 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Church, let us be compassionate to all, but first of all let us look to honor the so called “real widows” in our own congregations.