Vows

Over the last few weeks we've looked at the church's responsibility to Widows, this week I want to turn the corner and look at the widow's responsibility to the church reflected in the same passage. Please open your Bibles to 1 Timothy 5:3-16 where we will see that there is a dual classification of widows in the early church. In verses 3-8 we have the broader category focused intentionally on helping those who cannot help themselves and from verses 9-16 we turn the corner and we see a specialized – sacred ministry of widows in the early church who through taking a personal vow dedicated themselves completely to the Lord Jesus alone.
When we look at this passage we note that it raises the bar a bit. While it is important that we do good to everyone, it is especially vital that Christians help Christians. But there is a clear expectation that Christians be Christlike. A widow who is truly in need, whom the church should assist is a godly widow, it should not be the church's practice to reward godlessness which is why as we look through the perspective of the widow in this passage we see first and foremost that she has fixed her hope on God.

Personal Godliness is Primary (v3-8)

In the text, every Widow must be Godly. Above all we are seeking for faithfulness. There are three general characteristics in view.
The first we see in verse five is that she has “Fixed her hope on God”. Remembering the circumstance of a first century widow was incredibly dire. She had no means of taking care of herself and was thus dependent upon others for her daily needs. Ultimately however a godly woman is one who has fixed her hope on the Living God. She trusts the Lord to take care of her.