Does your church have a biblical plan to care for widows? Over the years, our culture’s definition of widow has evolved to mean only a woman whose husband has died. However, in biblical Greek the word for widow, chera, was a much broader definition meaning “bereft of a husband; desolate.” In other words, a woman could have been left alone for any number of reasons, including divorce or desertion, and she is most surely in a state of distress. With this definition, we must acknowledge that most of today’s single moms are indeed widows, we must assume they are in distress, and we must include them in our widow care plans.
So what is a biblical care plan for widows and single moms? Well, it’s not just about one-time handouts. It’s a holistic plan that includes protection, provision, compassion, inclusion, and redemption. To get more specific let’s look at a great model set forth in the book of Ruth, where Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer representing Christ, ministers to Ruth, a widow.
1. Ruth comes to Boaz’s land, seeking refuge. Is your church a refuge for widows? When single moms show up at your church hoping it’s a safe place are they embraced with protection or left wondering if anyone is going to help them? Ideally, the church should respond like Boaz: “Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields…May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.” –Ruth 2:8,
2. Boaz sees Ruth and shows her kindness. Do single moms who come through your doors get recognized or ignored? Is God’s heart and vision for widows communicated in weekend services or is their plight “invisible” to the church at large? Boaz does not let Ruth remain on the fringes, but approaches and speaks to her face to face, lets her know she is welcome in his field and that his intention is to make sure she is cared for properly. “Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly, ‘What have I done to deserve such kindness?’ She asked. ‘I am only a foreigner.’” –Ruth 2:10
3. Ruth comes to Boaz’s field seeking supply. Have you ever had single moms approach your church needing immediate help? When widows ask for food, housing or financial assistance, should they be redirected to state agencies or provided for by church families? Biblically, the Church is called to meet these needs. “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for.” –Ruth 3:1
4. Boaz never sends Ruth away empty-handed. Has your church ever sent a single mom out the doors with nothing to eat (most won’t ask for food even when they need it)?
Or do you make sure every Sunday and all the days in between that they are provided for? Boaz demonstrates the intentional generosity and hospitality of Christ by arranging for Ruth to gather grain with his harvesters, instructing his men to pull extra grain out and drop it on purpose for her, and even inviting her to eat and drink at his table. Each time he makes sure she has more than enough. “He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty handed.’” –Ruth 3:17
5. Ruth comes to Boaz’s feet seeking relationship and redemption. How many single moms have come to Christ in your church? When widows are lovingly received, cared for, and discipled by the church, they get to know the real character of Jesus and are compelled to trust him with their lives. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied, “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.” –Ruth 3:9
6. Ruth stays close to Boaz and obeys him. Are you aware that single moms are more hungry than most for biblical guidance? Widows who are well-loved and cared for tend to remain loyal to the Church and eager to serve. “So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning…”—Ruth 3:14
7. Ruth experiences restoration and transformation through Boaz. Are you seeing transformation in the lives of single parent families in your church? God never intends for widows and the fatherless to remain in a state of scarcity and loss, He has a greater inheritance in store for them. Widows who are nurtured by the church grow in their faith and are transformed, experiencing new life, new hope and new legacy. “And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown.”—Ruth 4:10
8. Ruth is honored as an outsider and grafted into the lineage of Christ. Do you consider the single moms in your church to be just as qualified as married people for leadership and ministry influence? Widows who have experienced the unmerited love and grace of Christ are prime candidates to have great influence for the Kingdom. “We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended!”—Ruth 4:11
A church that intentionally cares for all widows – including single moms – is a rare and precious thing. Churches that are reflecting God’s heart by being “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows” (Psalms 68:5) are finding this ministry is bringing great vibrance and causing generosity to explode in their communities. Instead of seeing the growing population of single moms as an overwhelming social problem, they see what a great blessing and resource they can be to the Body of Christ.