1 Timothy 5:10

1 Timothy 5:10  Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.  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.  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.  But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.  Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame.  If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.  No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. 

Paul's advice to widows is to stay independent from the church unless it is impossible to do so, and if they are to receive aid from the church, they should be a person over sixty who has, and is, practicing good deeds.  Sometimes in America, people want help from a body of believers without ever thinking of reciprocating with service or contributions to the church.  Over the years, I have watched people ask pastors for all kinds of services when they're in trouble or sick, but when they are well off and healthy, they have little to do with the church.  When things are going well with their lives, they will be found on Sunday morning occupied by some self-serving activity such as playing golf, jogging or biking down a trail, reading the local newspaper, watching sports on television, and so on.   Only when trouble darkens their doors are they found on the church's doorstep.  Then, they are like the transients who go from church to church, asking for handouts, yet never once think about reciprocating to the churches from which they are asking help.  Like the transient, they just want a handout because they are sick or in need.  They feel the church should come to their aid because they are alive and breathing in the same community.  People might even be at odds with a pastor or a church, but when they need help, they head straight to the church's door for help.  

Well, praise God, a church should be loving and forgiving, a church should be caring and should sacrificially serve a community, but in the above passage we see Paul setting forth very stringent requirements for widows getting aid from a body of believers.  Older widows without a family were the most indigent members of the Ephesian society.  Without some kind of aid, they were destined to be beggars.  Yet, Paul wants Timothy to be very sure that the widows are good people and that they also provide a service to the church.  Otherwise, Paul expected even widows not to be idle, but to do good works for the church and others.  Every community or business needs everyone to pull together if the community or business is going to be successful.  This is true within the church.  Everyone should be a contributor whether a widow or not.  No one should expect service for nothing.  The church of the living God will not keep a record of right and wrong, that's Christ's responsibility.  However, the body of Christ on Earth is made up of many members and all of them are to be active, even widows or the indigent.  Everyone should be an integral part of the church at all times.  Every Christian should be consistent with tithes and services to the church, and should glory in giving, more than receiving.  If we are sick or need help, we should go to the church, but we should always recognize that we have a responsibility to the church to give back.  Christ was a servant; we are to be servants.  Yes, we receive, but we must never forget our first role is to be serve others.  God loves a cheerful giver.  If a widow or not, we are still a servant to the MOST HIGH GOD, and we have been adopted into a family that gives.