“A Legacy of Faith”

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

To Timothy, my dear son:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 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 the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:1-7

This Mother’s Day we have much to celebrate as we remember the important role our mothers and other women have played in helping us to become mature adults. For many of us, our mothers and grandmothers introduced us to the Lord. They read the Bible to us, answered our first questions about Jesus, and brought us to church.

In chapter 16 of the book of Acts, we’re introduced to a young person named Timothy. The Apostle Paul met Timothy and his family on a missionary journey to Lystra in the modern-day country of Turkey. Timothy’s mother is named Eunice, and his grandmother is named Lois. Both were Jewish. We’re not told the name of Timothy’s father, but we’re told he was not Jewish.

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, we discover that Lois became a follower of Jesus first. Then Eunice did. And finally, Timothy did as well. Nothing said of his father.

Timothy later accompanied Paul on missionary journeys. Church historians tell us that Timothy became the pastor of the church in Ephesus and eventually he became the bishop of churches in the area. Then as an elderly man, he died as a martyr.

All of us are called by God to pass on a legacy of faith, just as Lois and Eunice did to Timothy. Even though God has not made all of us mothers or grandmothers, God has placed us in the life of a child.

We can spend time with them, listen to them, play with them, and tell them about how much Jesus loves them. Just like somebody did with us. Eventually, the children in our lives will pass on this legacy of faith to a new generation who will thank God for us.

Happy Mother’s Day!

In Christ,

Pastor David