Can you think of anyone else in the world that has more potential for a positive influence on someone than a mother does? A mother establishes a close bond with her children that will last for a lifetime. Moms have the opportunity to plant a seed of faith in a child that can eventually develop into a lifelong service to God. But, it does not stop there. A mother's work can bear fruit for generations to come. All parents need to consider this early on. What parents do, or do not do, early in their child's life will affect many other people's lives long after they are gone. The faith of one mother can change the world forever. Our nation has set aside today as an occasion to honor our mothers. Let's use this opportunity to look at the influence of two mothers from the New Testament whose work is still benefiting us to this very day.
Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, his "son in the faith", exhorting him to continue his work in God's kingdom as an evangelist. Paul mentioned the effect that Timothy's mother and grandmother had on him when he said, "I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also" (2 Tim. 1:5). Paul did not mention much about Lois and Eunice, but he said enough that we can glean some valuable lessons from his statement. Consider the following points.
1. A mother's faith may spread to her children. We do not know anything about Lois except that she was a faithful mother and grandmother. Her faith had a strong influence on the way Eunice lived her life. Paul said that Timothy's faith first dwelt in his grandmother Lois. Lois is what you could refer to as an anchor person. She developed a strong faith in God which trickled its way down to Timothy, and continued to bear fruit for generations to come as we will see later. Some women will never have the opportunity to grow up in a house where faith in God is strong, but that does not mean they cannot become an anchor person for generations to come. Lois was the start of something great. Just because you did not grow up under faithful parents does not mean that you cannot start the chain of faith in your family. It all starts with living by faith, and then raising your children to do the same.
2. A mother's faith may spread to her grandchildren. Lois had started it, and now we see that Eunice would pick up where she left off. Eunice took the example that Lois had given her, and would now teach those same principles to her son Timothy. Eunice started right at birth. She named her son Timothy, which means, "honoring God." We see one more link added to the chain of faith that Lois started as the family's anchor.
3. A mother's faith may spread to future generations. What Lois started would continue to bear fruit for the next two thousand years. Lois and Eunice's foundation of faith would propel Timothy into God's work. Think of all the people Timothy taught and converted. Consider the millions of people who have read about Timothy's work in the New Testament. It all started with the faith of two mothers. The faith of one mother can change the world today as well! Our moms need to be planting the seeds of faith now to produce our future gospel preachers, elders, deacons, teachers, and Christian parents. Mothers must never forget the amount of godly influence they can have on their children. They are an important part of God's plan! -Ed