3d. Older women should teach the younger women to be; Discreet and Chaste

Discreet
From the Greek word

sophron {so'-frone}

1. Of a sound mind, sane, in one's senses

2. Curbing one's desires and impulses, self-controlled, temperate

Older women are to teach younger women to be sane and self-controlled.

Older women are to help younger women keep life in perspective, to not fly off the handle at any little thing. Indeed, to not fly off the handle at all. What does flying accomplish? It makes everyone around us walk on eggshells and think we are really nuts. It doesn't make people do what we want them too, except maybe just enough to pacify us until they can get away. It certainly doesn't make our hubby trust us.

Many scriptures in the Bible speak of controlling ourselves and our tempers. It is God's will that we present ourselves as gentle and calm at all times.

I know this is easier said than done, but it is what we should be aiming for: sound minds, sanity, in control of our mental senses, our desires and impulses controlled.

This doesn’t mean we can’t get angry. We should get angry at injustices and evil. God does.

The same things- cruelty, dishonesty, unrighteousness, you know, SIN- should make us mad.

But our anger should be rare and reserved for only those things important enough to make God Himself mad.

Older women should teach the younger women to be;

Chaste
Form the Greek word

hagnos {hag-nos'}

1. Exciting (or creating) reverence, venerable (deserving of honor and respect), sacred

2. Pure

3. Pure from carnality, chaste, modest

4. Pure from every fault, immaculate

5. Clean

Our bodies are the temples of God. As such they are sacred.

Now, I don't mean sacred in the way some people do. Some actually worship their bodies. I mean physically bow down and worship the human body.

I heard of one feminist rally where one of the leaders stripped her top off and everyone worshiped breasts (and goddess mother) in dance.

Others are so preoccupied with how they look that that is always the first thing they think of, the main thing they spend their money on, the only thing they try to improve about themselves.

Many Americans are very vain, very much wrapped up in themselves and their looks. Anorexia? Bulimia? Endless dieting and exercising? How about plastic surgery? I heard of a woman who had had plastic surgery so she would look like Barbie. There is a place for plastic surgery (i.e. repair the damage from a car accident), but many use it as a way to maintain the shrine they have made their bodies to be.

So what do I mean by “our bodies are sacred”? 

I mean they are a special creation of God and are His habitation. We should take care of our bodies and use them the way God designed them to be used. We should reverence them. Not worship them, but respect them.

We should eat the best we can. I know it is not possible in our society to eat perfectly, but most of us can eat better.

We should exercise. Few of us in America exercise enough.

We should keep ourselves clean, neat and pleasant to be around, also.

What about on the inside? "Pure from carnality, modest." What do those things mean?

Webster's Original 1828 Dictionary:

Modest a. [L. modestus, from modus, a limit.]

1. Properly, restrained by a sense of propriety; hence, not forward or bold; not presumptuous or arrogant; not boastful;

2. Not bold or forward;

3. Not loose; not lewd.

Moderate, then, means not excessive or extreme; not extravagant.

Can you picture this woman? She is in control of herself, calm, clean, healthy, not forward or bold, not rude, attractive but not sexually-attracting (lewd), not boastful, not excessive in anything. You know, I have heard this description somewhere else;

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails… And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”  1 Corinthians 13

So, in short, Paul is telling Titus to tell the older women to teach the younger women to love- period. Your every action and attitude should be one of love for others.

Is this too much to ask of us?

Consider; Jesus behaved this way for us.

• He suffered long on the cross for us, and during my life I know He has suffered long waiting for me to learn and grow up.
• He is kind to us.
• He does not envy us.
• He does not parade Himself around.
• He waits patiently for us to come to Him.
• He is not puffed up, or stuck on Himself.
• He is not rude but is a gentleman.
• He does not seek His own best interest, but ours.
• He isn't easily provoked and expects good from us, not evil.
• He doesn't rejoice when bad things happen but weeps with us.
• He is truth.
• He bore our sins and believes in us like no one else we have ever known.
• He endures our foolishness.

So I ask again, is it too much to ask us to strive for this standard?

No, I don't think so. I think it is the least we can do in showing our love for our Lord. And the closer we get, the more our hubbies will trust us and depend on us.