The Secrets Women (must) Tell

 I celebrated another birthday recently. I likely hit the halfway point of my life quite a while ago (unless I plan to live to 130) highlighting the fact I’m well into the last half of my life. Which forces an answer to the question of one willing to ask, “what matters most for the second half?”

The answer for me came swift and certain. I must tell what I know about Jesus, what I’ve learned and experienced through decades of studying and following His ways: tripping and falling; sinning and being forgiven; living in the blessings of obedience; being loved perfectly.  Also, what I’ve witnessed Him accomplishing in others’ lives and in the world and church. This is the stuff.

You can imagine my delight when I came to this passage while reading through the gospels during Lent; Jesus teaching the crowds according to Luke's memory in 8:16-18:

“No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed. No, you sit it up on a lampstand so those who enter the room can see their way. We’re not keeping secrets; we’re telling them. We’re not hiding things; we’re bringing everything out into the open. So be careful that you don’t become misers of what you hear. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.”

One of my favorite teachings from the Apostle Paul given to women directly is for the older women to teach the younger, which provides a classroom for the younger to learn from the older. Ladies, if you’re ever wondering what God’s will is for you – that’s it right there. Not a mystery, it’s printed in black and white – even what is expected to be taught and learned (check out the books of Timothy and Titus for further study).

I consider this often because a woman doesn't have to be a biological mother to influence or mother another.

You see, we are all modeling life to the younger generation whether we realize it or not, whether we feel like we are the olders or not. We intentionally share recipes, household tips, relationship advice, traditions, stories that mostly make us look good (unless we have a boss self-deprecating sense of humor). But we also blaze a trail of words, attitudes, behaviors, and habits. 

In 2 Corinthians 2, Paul tells us we leave a fragrance in every room we visit. I once heard it said we bring joy everywhere we go, too - either when we’re coming or going.

I personally was well-mentored by the many older women God put in my path mostly at church. I often testify I wouldn’t have made it through parenting a strong-willed child if not for a few of these to whom I would go vent my frustration. They’d bandage me up with stories and infuse me with God’s word before sending me back into the ring again with their prayers for support. 

I believe strongly in this ministry. God knew what He was doing and what His daughters would need when He set this up.

After coming to faith in Jesus as a teenager, eventually I learned the value of the Bible and I spent time reading, studying and obeying it. Soon enough my life took a whole new direction - one in which Jesus became the environment of my life. This Book of truth and wonder (I like to call it) has become my favorite possession.

It is a book of letters (one commentary says it’s more like a library, so many genres represented) from the One who knows you, loves you more than any other will. It’s God’s heart revealed - an invitation to know Him – in each of the sixty-six books inside. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, page one to the last. Did you know that?  

This Book. It’s ancient yet somehow alive and relevant. God wrote down everything He knew we needed to know. Why? So, we could know Him, know His heart, know His love.  

This volume is a miracle. It’s not going anywhere. It will be preserved for your daughters and sons. Your grandchildren. It is a treasure and not to be neglected. That would be foolish.

It is our job, however, to know it, love it, and pass that love and knowledge to everyone we know – who has ears to hear! Keep it a secret? No – this is a secret we tell! More on that in a minute.

One of my favorite passages is found in Deuteronomy, chapter 6. These were bedrock parenting verses for us as we raised our kids. We are still living and sharing them though ours are now 32, 28 and 27.

Let's listen in on Moses giving final instructions to the people of Israel as they enter the promised land without him. 

Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.*

What's the alive, relevant message to us today?

All the stories of God's faithfulness. Talk about it. Talk about it. Talk about it

Assume listeners want to hear, want to know. Every age of those coming behind, need to hear us tell the stories. Tell the faithfulness of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the next generation starting with those closest to us in our homes and widening out to all those God entrusts within our influence. 

Keeping all this wonder to ourselves is missing the mark of our purpose! Hide it under a washtub or shove it under a bed? I don't think so!

But what if we do? What if we keep it to ourselves? If we choose not to retell the stories from the Bible we know, the stories of Jesus’ life, the stories of our lives changed by Jesus, we are making the stories secrets.

Which begs the next question – if we don’t tell, what and who will replace these true stories as concrete truth to guide our loved ones and those God entrusts to us? 

I’ll tell you who – the world will. Disney will. Hollywood will. Taylor Swift will. 

We have an enemy – God’s enemy – who is firmly in control of the narrative conforming us to its anti-God, anti-Biblical image. Romans 12:1 tells us unless we are actively resisting, we are already being conformed to its image - willingly. 

So, what do we do? We tell! This is the time it’s ok to tell secrets!

Take on this attitude: I should always assume God is at work in those He brings into my life. Therefore, I assume they will want to hear what I’m going to say. 

When I do this, I normalize spiritual conversations and speak in Gospel language (not repetitive "Christianese" or tired talking points), trusting the Spirit to do the work in others He wants to do. Praying for timing, hearts ready to receive, reading the room for Holy Spirit clues, etc.

What a tremendous gift to influence the women in our lives, youngers and olders alike, as both God’s ambassador (the likeness of Jesus’ character) and His instrument of change in their lives. We are not here for less.

In my experience, not many older women sought me out to influence me. Mostly I had to do the approaching to make this biblical practice a reality in my life. This should not be so. 

I studied those women in my life, at church, noticing the ones who seemed to walk closely with God, know Him well, know His word well, were joyful, suffered well. I wanted them to teach me their ways. And I wasn't talking about recipes and household tips.

We olders have the experience, the knowledge, the wisdom, the secrets that must be told.

There’s nothing more important. We must steward what’s been entrusted to us - the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All of this life is all about Him. We can’t let lesser things take priority. 

We mustn’t become misers of what we’ve learned, what we know. “Generosity”, Jesus taught, “is what begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.” God forbid we keep the secrets meant to be told. No, let’s bring everything out in the open. 

This is the stuff to consider on a Mother's Day holiday. All women no matter your age or birth history. Whatever amount of time we have, let's make it count.

Love God’s Word. 

Teach others to love God’s Word. 

Assume they want to know. 

Learn. Teach. Repeat.