Webbijbel
Gert-Jan Van Zanten
THE OLDER WIDOW - HER TASK
Written by: Joanne Beckley
When your grief becomes muted and the edges have softened – which
they will–you then begin to realize that there is no other time in
your life that is so unique. A new beginning. You are set free to
serve God in a wholehearted and undistracted way. No longer
restrained by the many duties and responsibilities that go along
with married life, you are able to say, “yes” to God in an energetic
way. You are free to throw yourself without constraint into the
things of God–to know Him as you have never known Him before, to
love Him and serve Him with all your heart, soul, mind and
strength–100 percent. In 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, the apostle Paul
gives this goal in one phrase: “that you may serve the Lord without
distraction.” In the context of this verse, Paul is not saying
marriage is wrong, but that being single certainly gives one a
spiritual advantage.
Without distraction. The Greek word in this verse for “distraction”
is aperispastos, (ap-er-is-pas-toce') and according to Strong’s
definition it means, “free from (domestic) solicitude:--without
distraction.” It is a servant’s term, and it describes the kind of
servant who is so focused on his master that just the slightest eye
movement or gesture of need will send that servant into action. It
is attention that is given constantly. (Cavanaugh, God’s Call to the
Single Adult, p.82) Read the account of Mary and Martha (Luke
10:38-42). These two women are excellent examples of what we should
and shouldn’t be focusing upon. Martha was not concentrating on the
better choice. She allowed her cares to divide her attention from
her devotion to Jesus.
Mary’s example is exactly the way God wants you to respond to Him.
He wants you to be so attentive to Him that just the slightest
movement of His eye (becoming sensitive to the needs of the Kingdom)
so that He will be able to prompt you to action. Psalm 32:8 “I will
instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide
you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which
have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.”
Yes, we live in this world with good distractions, but when these
things take on overwhelming proportions and crowd out our awareness
of God’s eye in our lives, then its time to make some changes. God
wants you, his older widow, to wait upon Him, looking to Him,
totally attentive, yielding completely to His will. And you must be
ready for Him, “without distraction.” This means being committed –
heart and soul–to the Lord in a way that can be seen in your
attitude and service toward Him. Whatever He wants, you are ready to
do it.
Being alone is not a disease or a prison to be escaped at all costs.
It is an opportunity to know God intimately and to serve Him with
your whole heart, soul, mind and strength. Three things come to mind
that will help you to consider your devotion to God:
1.
Give to God all that you have.
Remember the widow in the temple who gave her gift to God? Take time
to read Mark 12:41-44. That widow didn’t hold back half for herself.
She didn’t excuse herself, saying, “Well, money is tight this
month.” She gave herself. Mark 8:35 "For whoever desires to save his
life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the
gospel's will save it.” Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to
you.” Remember the widow Anna? The writer Luke wrote that it was she
“who departed not from the temple, worshipping with fastings and
supplications night and day” (Luke 2:37). Her service to God
included praying for all the many who needed her prayers – the many
who are distracted in this world, especially young families.
2. Give the Best that you have. Devotion without distraction prompts
such a generosity of heart that mankind is amazed. God is not. He
knows that this kind of love continually serves. Remember the woman
who poured a very costly perfume on Jesus’ head? Jesus said she had
done a “good work for Me . . . She has done what she could. She has
come beforehand to anoint My body for burial” (Mark 14:3-9). Hers
was an act of self-sacrifice, in thanksgiving and love. Perhaps this
amazing gift that was so expensive was her dowry. Perhaps she had
given away her right to be married.
Think about the gift God is asking from you, the older widow.
Asking, expecting, demanding your all. When we examine 1Timothy
5:3-10, we read of the honor God gives to widows who are “well
reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has
lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has
relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good
work.” What an endorsement! What a responsibility.
3. Do only what you can do. It was but a small task for the woman
who poured her perfume on Jesus’ head, even though it was the best
that she had. Compared to what others were doing, it didn’t seem
like much. Her simple efforts could have discouraged her, but
instead, she learned that her effort to honor Jesus turned out to be
prophetic!
Likewise, your small acts of kindness will create ripples of unknown
proportions–not in a prophetic way–but your life will touch another,
and yet another with significance. Yes, you may come home every
night to an empty house or apartment, miles away from your children
and close friends. You may wonder, if I died tonight, would anybody
notice? Would anybody care? You may feel you wish you could do
things you cannot do. But all of these thoughts will discourage you
from taking any action. They will keep you from fulfilling what you
can do. God only wants from you what you can do.
Remember the parable Jesus told of the talents? Each of the three
men were to do what they could do. Nothing more, nothing less.
Perhaps the one talent man compared his abilities with that of the
other two men and thought his efforts would be too pitiful, thus
doing nothing. The master called him “wicked” and “lazy.” It would
seem that the man used his comparison as an excuse to be lazy. It is
a struggle to grow and give 100% of yourself. Then again, that man
may have been afraid to fail. He may have been unwilling to risk
failure in order to gain his master’s good will. God knows our
limitations and what you and I are capable of doing. God is only
seeking ALL of what we CAN do!
Matthew 22:37-39 You shall love the LORD your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first
and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love
your neighbor as yourself.
Song:
Lord, make me a servant, Lord, make me like You;
For You are a servant, make me one, too.
Lord, make me a servant, do what You must do
To make me a servant; make me like You.
