What Does The Bible Say About Widowhood?

Loving and caring for widows appear throughout the Scriptures. God does not despise the tears of a widow, and He brings light to them. Our gracious God carries good news for them. And as Christians, we ought to be good news to the widow as well. Christians should know that widows suffer deep pain that can last longer than a year. Losing a loved one can be very hard, especially if the loved one was her husband—the head of her family. The widow’s pain and grief are unique. Her tears are true, and the grief is real. 

A grieving widow is emotionally and physically exhausted. Christians need to care for widows but it is important that you consider their health. We are to be patient and sensitive when it comes to giving them love and care. We ought to accept her gentle “thank you” and be willing to accept that she sometimes wants to be alone. Our widows need rest, and Christians should help them achieve sweet rest. Just as Jesus said in Matthew 11:29-30, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” (ESV), let our widows experience this.

Remind our widows about Psalm 62:5-8, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.” (ESV). Let us love the widows with all of our hearts just as Jesus Christ loved us. And more importantly, let us look at our widow as a gift, not a tragedy.

Our widows may be weak, but they have the strength of the Lord. And so, we need to encourage them. Let us not see them through the lens of their loss and grief but rather see them as faithful servants of the Lord as they seek Him and put their trust in their Savior. Her insurance policy is far greater and far more precious than the world could offer, and that is salvation from the Lord. 

Be the Bearer of Good News

Let us drench our widows with the Gospel of Christ, not pity. The church needs to embrace them with the presence of the Holy Spirit. No clinic, hospital, doctor, or institution can bring sweet and pure comforting warmth like God’s embrace through His children’s arms. Believe it or not, the suffering of a widow is a blessing, and she will have her reward soon. 

Christians should be defenders of widows as God is to them. Psalm 68:5 reminds us that God is “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.” The Word of God reveals His heart toward widows, and He deeply cares about them. Fathers and husbands play a very irreplaceable role in the family. Our widows are vulnerable, but they have God and the Church. 

Imitating Christ

The Bible says that God is the defender of the widows and, indeed, He will surely protect them. Jesus Christ Himself cares for them and has shown His care in John 19:25-27 and Luke 7:11-17. Jesus said in Matthew 23:24, “You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” Jesus condemned those people who took advantage of the widows. God has commanded the whole nation of Israel to extend love and care for the widows and not isolate them or take advantage of their weakness and vulnerability (Deuteronomy 16:11-14). God provides for the widows and they have a special place in God’s heart.

We read in some passages of the Bible that the nation of Israel had turned away from serving God and had turned away from His statues, and who suffered? The sad thing is that the widows were among the first casualties. Prophets from the Old Testament reproached those who have taken advantage of the widows and those who have wronged them (Isaiah 10:1-3; Jeremiah 22:1-5; Ezekiel 22:6-7). As God defends the widows, so are we. If God says that He loves the widows, so should we. Acts 6 is a wonderful chapter in the Bible that tells us about the church caring for the widows. And in 1 Timothy 5, we can read about Paul giving clear instructions on how to treat and regard widows. And in James 1:27, it is said, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (ESV).