For those of us in the trenches of diapers, temper tantrums and the mind-numbing exhaustion that is parenting young children (or the terror of teenage drivers) the apostle Paul has some very good news! It matters. Every single second of it matters. Even the seconds when we are hiding in the bathroom because we aren’t sure if we can keep doing this for one more solitary minute!
When Paul was writing his young protégé Timothy, he specifically noted that Timothy was what he was (a great leader in the early church) because of the powerful legacy of faith that his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice had given him.
Lois and Eunice weren’t commended for perfection, but they did do two things well according to Paul.
First, they had a “sincere faith (2 Tim. 1:4).” That literally means, “without hypocrisy.” Within the four walls of a home it is nearly impossible to pretend anything for very long. Kids know. If we want to raise our kids to love Jesus and love others, we had better make sure that we are loving Jesus and loving others well in our own lives. We can’t expect our kids to read their Bible if ours isn’t being worn out. We can’t expect them to love being a part of a church community if we don’t make it a top priority. We can’t expect them to follow our example of ministry if we aren’t out there serving people on purpose.
Second, Lois and Eunice made sure that Timothy knew the scriptures. In 2 Timothy 3:14-15 Paul says, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” There is no substitute for knowing the Word of God and there isn’t anything that we can teach our children that could compare to it. It is a gift (just ask Timothy)!
Parents, we can give our sleep-deprived selves a break. We don’t have to be perfect parents to be godly parents. If we can do just these two things well, God will take care of the rest and our kids will be fine. “From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children (Psalm 103:17).”
(For those who have missed any of the previous lessons, you can go to https://comethirstyministry.com/blog/ and view all previous postings.)
Week Forty-Seven
Day 1: Colossians 3:1-25 (Husbands and Wives)
Day 2: 1 Timothy 2:1-13 (Women)
Day 3: 1 Timothy 3:1-13 (Those in Ministry)
Day 4: 1 Timothy 5:1-16 (Honor for Widows)
Day 5: 2 Timothy 1:1-18 (Lois and Eunice)