isms

⁹ Put a widow on the list who is older than 60 years old and who was faithful to her husband. ¹⁰ She should have a reputation for doing good: raising children, providing hospitality to strangers, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in distress, and dedicating herself to every kind of good thing. ¹¹ But don’t accept younger widows for the list. When their physical desires distract them from Christ, they will want to get married. ¹² Then they will be judged for setting aside their earlier commitment. ¹³ Also, they learn to be lazy by going from house to house. They are not only lazy, but they also become gossips and busybodies, talking about things they shouldn’t. ¹⁴ So I want younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their homes so that they won’t give the enemy any reason to slander us. (¹⁵ Some have already turned away to follow Satan.) ¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should take care of them and not burden the church, so that it can help other widows who are truly needy. (1 Timothy 5:9-16, CEB)

So if a woman is over 60 she is ok to be a widow, but if she is under 60 she needs to marry again?

We can not control another person or make them do things they are not desiring or looking for. We can guide them to the love of God and show them they are a child of God and they are loved. Beyond that, they control what happens.

We can not allow our preferences to control anothers life.

This passage has the part of looking out for those who need help, but it also pushes isms that are not cool. The Bible is the story of how we are loved by God, written by people who sometimes include their own agendas. We need to pull out the love and let the agendas go.

Loving People. Loving God.