By Sarah H.

 

 

“So that they may encourage the young woman to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”  (Titus 2:4-5).

 

You are all probably very familiar with the verses above.  It is probably one of the most repeated passages in all of Scripture to women.  Today, I would like to talk about our role in teaching and encouraging our younger sisters in Christ.

 

Four years ago, God led my sister and me to start a discipleship group for girls from age eight to twelve.  We taught them basic skills, such as sewing, cooking, and crafts and had a small Bible study as well.  We did this class once a month from March to September so that it could fit easily into other people’s schedules.

 

One of the neatest things about the class was that the girls were really responsive to what we said.  Because we were only a few years older than they were (I was fifteen and Rose was fourteen the first year) they seemed to feel like we understood them.  They opened up to us and shared their struggles, and we were able to help them through each one.

 

This was a great way for us to minister to our younger sisters in Christ.  These girls were able to have a time to fellowship with each other and learn new skills, all under the guidance and direction of slightly older “sisters.”  This also encouraged them to higher and better conversation and actions.

 

One of the things that we as young single women have the opportunity to do is to take the time to minister to our sisters in Christ.  When we become wives and mothers, we will have far less time to do those things, simply because our marriage and children will take as much as we can give it.  I think that we, the younger generation, are too often out to get encouragement for ourselves and not to give it to others.  I am as guilty of that as anyone.  I hope that you will join with me in making sure we take the time to minister and encourage our sisters in Christ, especially to those that are younger than us.

 

How can we encourage our younger sisters in Christ?  There are many ways to do this.  One of the best ways is to know their names and say, “Hello (girl’s name), how are you?”  This simple act can mean a lot to them.  Someone did that for me, and it meant so much.  You might start a time of fellowship for like-minded girls in a certain age group.  You might want to write birthday cards for those having birthdays to let them know that you thought of them.  You might leave a word of encouragement on their blog or send them an email for no special reason.

 

There are thousands of ways to encourage our younger sisters in Christ, and we need to be doing them.  So what are you waiting for?  Let’s start encouraging our younger sisters in Christ today!