1 Timothy 5 Devotional

A Household That Cares

“The widow who is truly in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers.”1 Timothy 5:5 (BSB)

1 Timothy 5 is practical, and it begins with family language. Timothy is to treat older men as fathers, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, in complete purity (5:1-2). Much of the chapter then concerns widows. Families are to care for their own, and Paul says that refusing to provide for one's household is a denial of the faith (5:4, 8). The church is to support widows who are truly alone, women who have set their hope on God and keep praying night and day (5:5, 16).

Paul also addresses elders: honor those who lead well, protect them from careless accusations, and correct those who persist in sin, without partiality (5:17-21). Throughout, the God of this chapter sees the overlooked widow as clearly as the leader in public. God cares for his people through the care they give one another, and someone in his household may need that care from you today.

To think about: Who in your church family is easy to overlook, and how could you care for them as you would a parent, brother, or sister?