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LFL and
Titus 2 – Making the Connection
What is Titus 2 for Life?
 Titus 2 for Life is a Biblical,
pro-life mentoring ministry. It was started in 2002 by Linda
Bartlett after she stepped down from the role of national president
of LFL. That year, Linda began serving as Director of Outreach for
Word of Hope, the abortion healing
ministry of LFL. Titus 2 for Life operates under the direction of
Word of Hope.
25 years on the speaking trail gave
Linda countless opportunities to listen to the stories of women.
These women helped her understand that abortion is not a woman’s
first choice. It’s a choice that changes her life (and the lives of
others), but only after other choices have been made. These choices
begin with the decision to trust the world and self rather than
God’s Word for life.
Titus 2 for Life is a mentoring model
for Lutherans who are frustrated by fellow Christians who defend
choices of death when situations of life become desperate.
What is the purpose of Titus 2 for
Life?
The purpose of Titus 2 for Life is to:
-
Assist
LFL and pro-life congregations in mentoring a new generation of
Biblical leaders.
-
Lead
women (and men) away from loud voices to hear the whisper of the
Spirit.
-
Contrast
worldviews (ideas of the world with the Truth of God).
-
Build a
culture of life through Biblical manhood and womanhood.
-
Reconcile sinful people with their Heavenly Father through the
mercy of Jesus Christ.
Titus 2 for Life strives to provide
mentoring opportunities and connect women to God’s Word for life
through in-home “teas,” campus “coffee houses,” and weekend
retreats. Training retreats offer encouragement, resources, and
opportunities for outreach to LFL leaders, clergy wives, and
pregnancy center workers.
What influence can Titus 2 for Life
have on the culture?
 When St. Paul was inspired by God to
write the young pastor named Titus, the prevailing culture was
immoral and embraced pagan ideas. It would seem that there might
have been all kinds of suggestions St. Paul could have offered Titus
with the goal of encouraging men and women to stand against the
immorality and decadence. But, St. Paul was inspired to focus on the
importance of “older” men and women teaching and equipping “younger”
men and women to live godly lives.
We, too, live in a culture that
embraces immoral and ungodly ideas. But, we have been blessed with
the divine blueprint for holy living. If we trust that God’s Word is
the same today as yesterday, we should also trust the importance of
an older generation mentoring the younger. From God’s perspective,
this is the best way for Christian men and women to transform the
culture.
What is the connection between Titus
2, a Biblical model for mentoring, and Lutherans For Life?
(What follows is Linda’s explanation.)
Long experience in LFL proves that many
of us are frustrated by the response of fellow Christians. So many
Lutherans, for example, agree that abortion is not a good thing.
However, these same people remain silent or even defensive not only
about abortion, but many of the choices that come before an abortion
such as sex outside of marriage. God’s Word has a lot to say to
modern Christians. He even provides a model for life in Titus 2. At
this time, let’s note the specific instructions given to women:
“Tell older women to live their lives
in a way that shows they are dedicated to God. Tell them not to be
gossips or addicted to alcohol, but to be examples of virtue. In
this way they will teach young women to show love to their husbands
and children, to use good judgment, and to be morally pure. Also,
tell them to teach young women to be homemakers, to be kind, and to
place themselves under their husbands’ authority. Then no one can
speak evil of God’s word.” (2:3-5
GOD’S WORD)
In all of my years in LFL, I have yet
to meet a woman who said she did not love live. However, many
Christian women have told me they felt unable to nurture or protect
life. They have told me they did not feel encouraged in their role
as wives or mothers. Many of these women are well educated, with
successful careers. A Lutheran parish nurse, for example, told me,
“I was a young woman in the 70s who believed I could bring home the
bacon and fry it up in a pan!” She went on to explain that, because
she had allowed herself to be deceived by the ideas of the world,
her family suffered. Failing to trust God, she could not recognize
that motherhood is a vocation with powerful influence on generations
to come.
American women are the best educated
women in the history of the world, yet a high percentage is
ill-informed about their origin and noble purpose. These women are
untrained in purity, selflessness, and loving others as themselves.
Experience at a caring pregnancy center proves that girls know a lot
about recreational sex but very little about marital love and
procreation. These girls are untrained in the ways of building
healthy families and, therefore, positively influencing society.
Even many Christian women have not the faintest clue about how to
build a culture of life. When difficulties arise, a high percentage
of Christian women seek the “wisdom” of Oprah, Dr. Phil, and
“self-help” books rather than trusting the Father God who created
and redeemed them.
2 Timothy 3:1-7 best illustrates the
need for Titus 2 and also explains its connection to pro-life
ministry.
“You must understand this: In the last
days there will be violent periods of time. People will be selfish
and love money. They will brag, be arrogant, and use abusive
language. They will curse their parents, show no gratitude, have no
respect for what is holy, and lack normal affection for their
families. They will refuse to make peace with anyone. They will be
slanderous, lack self-control, be brutal, and have no love for what
is good. They will be traitors. They will be reckless and conceited.
They will love pleasure rather than God. They will appear to have a
godly life, but they will not let its power change them. Stay away
from such people. Some of these men go into homes and mislead
weak-minded women who are burdened with sins and led by all kinds of
desires. These women are always studying but are never able to
recognize the truth.”
 Who are the “weak-willed women” spoken
of in Timothy? The Concordia Self-Study Bible notes that
these women are “unstable women who are guilt-ridden because of
their sins, torn by lust, and victims of various false teachers.”
My friend, Jane, told me, “When my
daughter was born, I wanted to be the kind of mother my mom was to
me . . . but, I was not encouraged to do so.” Jane explained three
things that led her off the path of life. She was without a mentor
because she and her husband moved far away from Jane’s father,
mother, and church family. Her husband did not share Jane’s faith in
Jesus Christ nor did he encourage her to surround herself with
Christian friends. She was intimidated by both husband and peers to
believe she would never find “identity” in motherhood. This was the
“thinking” that resulted in grave consequences including the
abortion of her second child and a divorce.
Today’s Christian woman is in need of
older women who will teach younger women how to respect themselves
as Jesus does, bring out the best in men, make a home, love
children, and care for neighbors. Today’s Christian woman needs a
model for building a culture of life and a future of hope.
God has provided such a model for
living in Titus, chapter two. The model is unpopular, however, for
two reasons:
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It follows the created order by
being gender specific and,
-
it goes against the grain of modern
feminism by teaching God’s ideas of purity, homemaking, and
patriarchy.
So, here is another connection between
Titus 2 ministry and LFL. Both require all believers in Christ to
rebel against the lies we have been told about our origin, gender,
and freedoms.
Titus 2 is a simple model for use by
Lutherans—and all Christians—who love life. It is foundational for a
healthy society because it follows the created order designed by God
and explained in Genesis. It is foundational because it transforms
the culture beginning in the home. The Christian home is God’s first
“training camp” where children learn how to fight for life in the
battle against Satan, the world, and our own sinful flesh. Today’s
Christian needs a model for life that does not wrap Jesus around
worldly ideas but, instead, consistently leads believers away from
chaos to peace, from despair to hope, from death to life. Titus 2 is
that model.
By now, you may better understand the
connection between the mentoring ministry of Titus 2 and Lutherans
For Life. But . . .
What are the specific connections between God’s Word in Titus 2 and
choosing life? Healing from an abortion? Dating and courtship?
Marriage and family? Bio-ethical issues? End-of-life issues?
The connections, as Linda and other
pro-life Lutherans view them, might be explained in the following
way:
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CHOOSING
LIFE: God’s Word in Titus 2 tells women to
“live their lives in a way
that shows they are dedicated to God”
(2:3) and . . . “show
love to husbands and children”
(2:4). Being dedicated to God means hungering after truth and
then trying to trust it and live it. Dedication to the Creator
God means seeing Him as the Master Designer not only of each
human life, but of the way each life should be lived. There is
order in loving first a husband and then a child. A Titus 2
woman appreciates the protective covering and support of a godly
husband’s love which encourages her to choose life for her child
and, therefore, build family. Families are the foundation for
healthy, thriving societies.
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HEALING
FROM AN ABORTION: God’s Word in Titus 2 encourages older women
(in age, experience, or spiritual maturity) to
“teach young
women.” Women who have been wounded by abortion but
then experienced the forgiveness and merciful healing of their
Savior, Jesus Christ, can steer younger women away from the
choice of death. An older woman can offer hope to the
younger woman who lives in denial or despair following an
abortion.
-
DATING &
COURTSHIP: God’s Word in Titus 2 tells older women to be
self-controlled (“not to
be gossips or addicted to alcohol”)
and “examples of virtue”
(2:3).
“In
this way they will teach young women to . . . use good judgment,
and to be morally pure”
(2:4,5). A Titus 2 woman helps a younger woman discern between
the ways of God and the ways of the world in matters of speech,
dress, behavior, and life choices.
-
MARRIAGE
& FAMILY: God’s Word in Titus 2 emphasizes the importance of the
created order when it tells women to
“place themselves under
their husbands’ authority”
(2:5) The Biblical woman understands this instruction in
light of Genesis 2:18, 22 and Ephesians 5:25, 33. She knows that
God is a God of peace, not chaos. His created order is for her
good and the good of family and society. She sees the role of
“homemaker”
(2:5) as a noble vocation with generational and societal
impact.
-
BIO-ETHICS & END-OF-LIFE: God’s Word in Titus 2 connects women
to bio-ethical issues and end-of-life issues by telling the
older generation to train the younger
“to be kind”
(2:5). God’s kindness is sacrificial. It is true
compassion in that God came to earth not to remove suffering but
to suffer with us; to suffer for us! “God’s
saving kindness has appeared for the benefit of all people”
(2:11)! When we practice His kindness, we build a culture of
kindness!
What are the consequences of using
the Titus 2 Model?
A Titus 2 woman finds joy and hope in God’s guidelines for Christian
living. “After all,” says Titus 2:11-13, “God’s saving
kindness . . . trains us to avoid ungodly lives filled with worldly
desires so that we can live self-controlled, moral, and godly lives
in this present world. At the same time we can expect what we hope
for—the appearance of the glory
of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!”
Titus 2 is for life! It’s not a human idea; it’s God’s
idea. It’s not a new concept; it’s been used since it was inspired
by the Holy Spirit. It’s not for women only; it’s for men, too! (See
Titus 2:1-2, 6-8.)
What resources does Titus 2 for Life offer?
Resources provided by Titus 2 for Life
include:
-
 Titus 2 “teas,” retreats, and
campus “coffeehouses” (Study Guide provided)
-
Titus 2 Training Retreats (Leader’s
Guide provided)
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Dressing for Life: Secrets of
the Great Cover-up, a purity style show and educational
fundraiser for use by LFL chapters, life ministry coordinators,
and pro-life congregations who want to mentor younger and older
women in modest dress and behavior.
-
Dressing for Life: Secrets of the Great
Cover-up by Linda Bartlett. This Bible study
(sent to you via e-mail as a reproducible PDF file) is designed
to follow the interactive and educational purity lifestyle show
by the same
title or it can be used
on its own to introduce God’s Truth about dress, behavior, and
respecting others as ourselves.
-
Called to Remember, a Bible
study for men
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Men, Women, and Relationships: Building a
Culture of Life Across the Generations, a
12-lesson Bible study with leader’s guide for women, men, or
couples in congregations and on campuses
-
Not Alone, a devotional for
single mothers
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Into His Loving Care, a
devotional for parents who have lost a child through miscarriage
or stillbirth
-
No More Weeping, devotions
for those who grieve an abortion choice
-
Assorted brochures to help build a
culture of life
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A website:
www.titus2-4life.org
If you are interested in more details,
please call Judy Hayen at (712) 425-3328 or e-mail:
lindabartlett@mchsi.com or go to
www.titus2-4life.org. |
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