“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. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1:5-7
As we celebrate Mother’s Day together this week in our worship service we are reminded of the great blessing of generational faith. Timothy is the product of a believing grandmother who passed her faith on to her daughter who passed it on to her son.
Before studying this passage recently I had assumed this meant decades of faith and faithfulness in Lois and Eunice. But after taking a closer look I wonder if the faith was newer and passed along more rapidly. Notice how Paul met Timothy on his second missionary journey.
“Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.”
Acts 16:1
Paul’s first journey from Antioch arrived in Lystra and Derbe in 48-49 A.D. (See chart below.) He came back on his second journey 2-3 years later, when he met Timothy.
Since Timothy’s mother was married to a Greek and since they had chosen not to circumcise Timothy as an infant (according to Jewish Law) it indicates to me that Eunice was not raised as a faithful, Law-keeping, God-loving Jew, or had deviated from that faith and commitment at some point. This makes me suspect that Lois may have been among the first to respond to the gospel in Lystra, possibly hosting Paul and serving as a person of peace for him in the region. In this sense, the faith may have dwelt in her first, passed on to Eunice and then on to Timothy. All of this would then have taken less than a year or two, since Timothy was already a developing leader when Paul chose him as an apprentice.
Whether the faith was passed on over decades or days, the principle is the same. Grandma Lois taught Eunice about Jesus and together they shared their faith in Jesus with Timothy.
What legacy are you passing on to your children and grandchildren?
- Is it a legacy of faith in Jesus and commitment to Him?
- Is it a set of worldview convictions about truth, love and righteousness?
- Does it include habits like Bible reading, prayer, Scripture memorization, worship attendance, service and outreach?
This weekend, give thanks for your Mom and the family legacies passed on to you. And take some time to reflect on the legacy you are passing along!