Multiple Hats, Multiple Roles

Multiple Hats, Multiple Roles

By Amy Gentry

Women today are wives and mothers, housekeepers, taxi drivers, party planners, CEO’s, and CFO’s … you get my point, we wear many hats.

Do you know that as disciples of Christ we are to wear many hats in our spiritual life?

When we look at a triad of relationships in the books of Acts and Romans, we see Paul, Timothy, and Barnabas.  I’ve had some of these very relationships in my own life and have been extraordinarily blessed by them.

Get this: We are to be disciples of Christ who disciple others to be disciples of Christ!

"You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others." 2 Timothy 2:2

·         We need to pursue a Paul in our own lives - a mentor, someone who is a servant of Christ and who will point you to the Lord when you are in turmoil (Romans 1:1). I had a wonderfully godly woman in my life at one time that showed me what it looked like to ‘walk out’ the Bible in my own life - on a day-by-day basis.  She taught me several lessons that I carry with me to this day: that submitting to my husband was truly submitting to God, to raise my children according to God’s standards and not the standards of this world, and to worship the Lord within my own thoughts.  She is still priceless to me.

·         We should also follow the great commission and go out and make disciples.  We are to train up a Timothy- a learner, someone who will serve the Lord alongside you (Phil. 2:22).  I have been a Bible study leader for many years now and I highly resist the term “teacher.”  I would more accurately describe my role as the-blind-leading-the-blind.  My bible study girls have heard me say this many times, “If God can speak through Balaam’s Ass I guess he can speak through me.”  But when I have a woman tell me that because I was there to feed Christ into her, her marriage was saved – I still become speechless and humbled – a priceless opportunity to serve.   

·         But we also need that voice in our life that will be our Barnabas.  He was a highly valued encourager to Paul (His name even means “son of encouragement” Acts 4:36).  I am so lucky to have many ladies encouraging me, too many to count.  My co-authors on www.titus2woman.org are a huge encouragement for me, but the encouragement from my accountability partner is so precious to me because she knows where all of my hidden freckles and wrinkles are.  She knows my strengths and my weaknesses, and she knows where my fears and my ferocities lie.   Priceless transparency!

CHALLENGE: Do you have a Paul, Timothy, and Barnabas? To quote Woody from Toy Story, “If you don’t have one, get one!”