Paul’s words to women feel both tender and weighty: teach what is good, live what is holy.
One phrase especially stopped me—“not slanderers.”
The word we translate as “slanderers” here is actually the same Greek word for “devil” or “satan ”. That means when we speak maliciously, gossip, or tear one another down, it isn’t small talk… it’s aligning our words with the enemy. Literally devilish speech!
That alone is enough to make me pause before I speak.
Paul also calls women to be diligent—workers at home. Not confined, not limited, but purposeful. We see this beautifully in Proverbs 31—a woman who works both inside and outside her home. The heart behind it isn’t restriction, it’s a warning against idleness and a call to live intentionally.
There is something deeply holy about caring for a home, nurturing a family, and creating a place of peace in a chaotic world. Culture may downplay it, but Scripture lifts it up.
And submission? It’s not about inferiority—it’s about humility, order, and reflecting Christ in how we love and serve. It’s strength under control, not weakness.
In a world that celebrates independence at all costs, this kind of life can feel countercultural. But maybe that’s the point.
Because at the end of the day, this isn’t about roles—it’s about representation.
How we speak.
How we love.
How we serve.
How we carry ourselves in the unseen, ordinary moments.
All of it is pointing to something greater.
Lord, help me—and every woman reading this—to be a faithful ambassador of the gospel today. That matters more than anything.
There has always been a cultural narrative telling women who they should be.
In our world today, it often sounds like this: Be louder. Be independent at all costs. Put yourself first. Define your own truth. Don’t let anything—or anyone—limit you.
But this isn’t new.
Long before modern feminism took center stage, there was another movement shaping the identity of women—one that looked strikingly similar.
A Look Back: The “New Roman Woman”
In the days of Paul the Apostle, a cultural shift was taking place across the Roman Empire. Scholars often refer to it as the rise of the “new Roman woman.”
Wealthy women were gaining social and financial independence. With that freedom, many began to step outside the traditional structure of family life—not simply to contribute, but often to abandon it altogether. Some pursued multiple sexual relationships. Others avoided marriage entirely. Still others sought influence in public spaces while neglecting the responsibilities within their own homes.
This movement grew so prominent that Augustus himself enacted laws to try to slow the moral and familial decline. Birth rates were falling. Marriages were weakening. The foundation of the family was beginning to crack.
Sound familiar?
Paul’s Response: A Different Kind of Freedom
When Paul wrote to Titus, he wasn’t giving random instructions—he was offering a God-centered response to a culture in confusion.
In his Epistle to Titus, particularly in chapter 2, Paul outlines a vision for women that stands in stark contrast to both the ancient Roman movement and much of what we see today.
3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
He speaks of women who are:
Reverent in the way they live Self-controlled, Pure, Devoted to their families, Kind and intentional in their influence.
At first glance, this might feel restrictive to some. But when we look deeper, we see something radically different from oppression—we see purpose, dignity, and eternal impact.
Two Voices, Two Visions
The world often defines a woman’s worth by how loudly she asserts herself, how much independence she claims, or how little she needs anyone else.
Biblical womanhood, however, tells a different story.
It says:
-Your strength is not proven in self-promotion, but in self-control. Your value is not found in independence from others, but in faithfulness to God. Your influence is not diminished in the home—it is multiplied there.
-Modern feminism, at its core, often elevates the individual woman above all else—her desires, her ambitions, her autonomy. And while there are elements that rightly acknowledge dignity and value, it can easily drift into a self-centered pursuit where serving others is seen as weakness.
But the Kingdom of God flips that completely.
The Beauty of a Servant’s Heart
Jesus Himself modeled this truth—greatness is found in serving.
A Christian woman who walks in reverence toward God carries a quiet strength the world cannot manufacture. She understands that caring for her family, loving well, living with purity, and walking in obedience is not lesser work—it is holy work.
This kind of life may not always be applauded by culture, but it is deeply honored by God.
And it is powerful.
Throughout Scripture, we see women who embodied this beautifully:
Lydia of Thyatira, whose faith and hospitality helped establish the early church Priscilla, who labored alongside her husband in ministry Phoebe, commended as a servant of the church Junia, recognized among the apostles
These women were not insignificant. They were not silenced. They were faithful—and their faithfulness shaped the Church.
What This Means for Us Today
As women of different ages, backgrounds, and seasons of life, we all feel the pull of culture in one way or another.
Some of us are raising children.
Some are working demanding jobs.
Some are doing both.
Some are in seasons of waiting, healing, or rebuilding.
The call of God is not one-size-fits-all in appearance—but it is unified in heart.
We are called to live in reverence.
To love deeply.
To serve willingly.
To walk in purity and self-control.
To reflect the goodness of God in how we move through the world.
Not because we are less—but because we belong to Him.
A Better Way
The question isn’t whether women have value—we absolutely do. That is not up for debate.
The question is: Where does that value come from?
Is it rooted in self, constantly striving to prove worth?
Or is it anchored in God, already secure, already known, already loved?
The woman who fears the Lord doesn’t need to fight for significance—she lives from it.
And in a world that tells her to grasp, she chooses to give.
In a culture that tells her to elevate herself, she chooses to serve.
In a moment that celebrates self, she reflects Christ.
What’s incredible is how Paul engages the culture around him. He doesn’t ignore it—he understands it. When he calls believers to “love what is good,” he uses the Greek idea philagathon, a term familiar in their world and even used by philosophers like Aristotle to describe the highest moral virtue. Paul meets the Cretan people where they are, acknowledging that even their own thinkers recognized the need for goodness and moral standards—but then he points them to something greater: the only true source of blamelessness, Jesus Christ.
The same is true with self-control. Highly valued in Greek culture, yet ultimately unattainable in its fullness apart from God. As we see in Galatians 5:22–23, true self-control is not something we manufacture—it is fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within us.
To be sensible, righteous, and holy isn’t about perfection. It’s about a consistent outward life that reflects an inward transformation—a heart changed by faith in Jesus.
And this is where the beauty of Good Friday meets us. The call to live differently isn’t rooted in striving—it’s rooted in surrender. Jesus, the only truly blameless One, gave Himself for us so that we could be redeemed, restored, and made new.
This Good Friday, we remember: the gift is already given. Freedom is already offered. All that remains is to repent, believe, and receive the grace that changes everything.
A promise is only as good as the one who makes it. We measure trust by two things: a person’s character and their ability to follow through. When the apostle Paul opens his letter to Titus, he doesn’t start with instruction—he starts with God.
“in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began” Titus 1:2 ESV
He reminds us that God is both pure in character and perfect in capability. In this Epistle to Titus, we are told that God “cannot lie.” That simple truth changes everything. Our hope of eternal life is not wishful thinking—it is anchored in the very nature of the One who promised it.
This stood in sharp contrast to the culture around the Cretan Christians. In Crete, people were surrounded by stories and worship of gods like Zeus—depicted as deceptive, impulsive, and morally flawed. These so-called gods reflected human brokenness, not divine perfection. But Paul points believers back to the one true God, whose truth never wavers and whose promises never fail.
The psalmist echoes this in Psalm 119: “All your commands are true… you established them to last forever.” God’s Word is not temporary or uncertain—it is eternal, just like Him.
Because of this, our hope in Christ is secure. Eternal life is not based on our performance but on God’s unchanging character. And that truth doesn’t just comfort us—it transforms us.
If we follow a God who cannot lie, then we are called to be people of integrity in a world full of compromise. If we trust in a God who is eternal, then we are invited to live with eternal perspective, not just temporary concerns.
Today, rest in this: God keeps His promises. Every single one.
And as you walk through a world that doesn’t yet know Him, remember—you carry the message of a faithful God whose truth changes everything.
The bright light of the gospel is meant to be shared! Will we hoard the gospel or hand it out as freely as it was given to us?
“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 ESV
On one side, a simple sandwich—bread ready to satisfy physical hunger. On the other, an open Bible, pages marked and highlighted, inviting something deeper. Both are necessary. But only one feeds the soul.
My intentional pause in a busy workday
For many busy Christian women—especially moms who work inside and outside the home—the word balance can feel like a burden. We imagine perfectly portioned days where every responsibility gets equal attention: work deadlines met, laundry folded, meals cooked, children nurtured, ministries served, friendships maintained.
But Scripture never commands us to achieve balance. It calls us to abide.
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me… ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
Just as our bodies require daily food, our souls require daily nourishment from God’s Word. Matthew 4:4 reminds us:
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
In John, Jesus refers to Himself as the Bread of Life. In John again, He describes Himself as Living Water. Bread nourishes. Water sustains. If our physical bodies require daily food to function, how much more does our soul require daily nourishment from the Word of God?
When life gets busy and frustrations rise, we often attempt to push through on sheer willpower. But our spirits grow weary when they are underfed. The Word of God strengthens us. It renews our minds. It steadies our hearts. It reminds us who we are and whose we are.
We don’t merely need better time management. We need spiritual sustenance.
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion…
The story of Mary and Martha in Luke shows us this clearly. Martha was distracted and anxious about many things. Mary chose the better portion—she sat at the feet of Jesus. Martha wasn’t wrong to serve. She was simply trying to carry what was never meant to be carried without first being filled.
We don’t need better time management—we need spiritual sustenance.
The peace we long for isn’t found in perfectly managed calendars. It flows from the Holy Spirit within us—steady, sustaining, abundant. That kind of peace comes when we pause, open the Word, and sit at His feet before we rise to meet the demands of the day.
Balance says, “Do more evenly.”
Jesus says, “Come and eat.”
And when we feast on His Word—daily, intentionally—we rise from the table nourished, renewed, and ready.
Peace that depends on circumstances will always waver. But the peace that flows from the Holy Spirit dwelling within us is steady, rooted, and sustaining. That peace comes not from achieving balance, but from prioritizing presence—daily time in Scripture, daily communion with Christ.
The myth of balance tells us to juggle better.
The gospel invites us to sit first.
And when we sit at His feet—when we feast on the Bread of Life and drink deeply of Living Water—we are strengthened to rise and serve from fullness rather than depletion.
The Meek Momma 