2 Timothy 1:5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
The Apostle Paul writes a letter to his ministry associate, Timothy. When Timothy was a young man, Paul returned to the town of Lystra, located in the southern region of Galatia. According to the account in Acts 16, Timothy and his mother had come to faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord during Paul and Barnabas’s first missionary journey. Seeing the evidence of a developing faith, Paul had Timothy accompany him and his ministry companions on the remainder of his second missionary trip.
Timothy matured in his faith and devotion to Jesus Christ, becoming a faithful co-laborer in gospel ministry with Paul as they traveled to many regions, advancing the gospel kingdom of Jesus Christ by planting churches. Timothy spent several years as the primary pastor of the church in Ephesus, teaching and encouraging the spiritual growth of believers. During Timothy’s pastoral ministry in Ephesus, Paul wrote two letters (1st and 2ndTimothy) to encourage him as he faced various challenges as a pastor. Timothy was a “tried and true” servant of His Lord and Savior, Jesus, pouring his life out in ministry to others.
Knowing the difficulties Timothy faced as he pastored the church in Ephesus, Paul wrote the letter of 2 Timothy to encourage and instruct his fellow servant. Paul shares with Timothy his reflection on Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. Paul affirms that Timothy's genuine faith was passed on to him by his mother and grandmother. These women trusted the Lord and the teaching of Scripture, modeling and teaching faith in the Lord and His truths to Timothy. God used the lives of these devoted women to impact Timothy so that faith enveloped his life for the rest of his days on the Lord’s Earth.
Hopefully, this testimony from Scripture will encourage mothers and grandmothers. God will use the substance of your faith to influence your children and grandchildren. There is nothing more important that a mother or grandmother can do than to live out all of Christ for all of life so that your children and grandchildren are prepared to do the same. Your lives with Christ make an eternal difference in the lives of your family members.
The stresses and demands are significant. Your children face a multitude of potential distractions that the enemy wants to use to subtly and captivatingly detach them from the Scriptural truths you model and share. Fight the enemy for the good of your soul and theirs. Yes, the demands of being a godly influence as a mom are taxing and draining. But God wants you to prayerfully and thoughtfully stay the course of bringing them up in the teaching and instruction of the Lord. Pray for strength and pray for faithfulness. Mom, the fruitful faith of your children is worth it. Live for the glory of God and the good of your family!
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