September 01, 2026 | Be Connected
Caring for Widows in the Church
Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:3-10(NIV)
3 Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 5 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. 6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7 Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. 8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
Devotional
Chapter five of 1 Timothy is all about relationships. Instructions are given for how to treat people who are younger, older, widowed, and in church leadersip. In the 1st century Greco-Roman world, people largely took care of themselves. The Roman Empire had no state-run method for caring for those in need. The Roman religious system of Greek gods and goddesses had no organized religious charity. People had to rely on families or find a way to fend for themselves. This was true not only in the Roman Empire, but for almost all political and religious entities dating back through time.
The rise of Christianity changed all that. Christians began to look after the poor, widows, children, and newborn babies left out in the wild to die of exposure. We see the roots of this very early in the Christian movement.
Jesus told his followers to sell their possessions to give to the poor (Luke 12:33). Later He said, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” (Luke 14:12-13). And in a parable Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me… whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matt. 25:35-40).
The first Christians took up this call. The day the Church was launched, the new believers “sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need” (Acts 2:45). This resulted in the statement “that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need” (Acts 4:34-35). And in Acts 6:1-6 the apostles chose seven people to organize the daily distribution of food to the widows.
Take time to thank God for the ways your church looks after those in need.
