Okay, just as a quick disclaimer, I am NOT a mom. But, it is my sincere desire that–through this particular blog post–all you wonderful Christian moms out there will find encouragement to keep living as true lights of love and faith to your children in the midst of this dark world.
Happy Mother’s Day!
In 2 Timothy 1:5, we read something beautiful:
when 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 TIMOTHY 1:5)
What can Christian moms (and Christian women in general) learn from this Bible verse?
Well, I’d like to dive into two key faith lessons we can learn more specifically from Timothy’s grandmother, Lois.
Faith Lesson #1
The first faith lesson we can learn from Lois is from her very name.
The name Lois means “pleasing, desirable.”
What can Christian moms (and other Christian women) learn from this?
To all you wonderful Christian moms, grandmas, aunts, and female mentors, I’d like to ask each of you a tough question.
Are you being a PLEASING and a DESIRABLE example of true Christianity to your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and/or mentees?
When the younger generation looks at you, do you believe–in SINCERE TRUE HONESTY–that they see someone who truly inspires them to keep following and clinging onto Jesus?
Or, when they look at you, they see an inconsistent hypocrite?
Are we, as older Christian women, being DESIRABLE examples to the younger generations around us in the same way Lois was a desirable example to her grandson Timothy?
Faith Lesson #2
For our second and last faith lesson from Lois’ life, let’s jump back to 2 Timothy 1:5 again:
when 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 TIMOTHY 1:5)
That word “dwelt” in the above verse is the Greek word enoikeō (ἐνοικέω), and it means “to dwell in one and influence him for good.”
What does that mean?
Both Lois and Eunice not only had a genuine faith, but they each both allowed that faith to INFLUENCE their every decision!
In other words, they likely didn’t just exercise their faith ONLY in emergencies! Instead, they allowed faith to spill into every nook and cranny of their lives.
This reminds me of a convicting statement my favorite author, Ellen White, once wrote in her book The Great Controversy:
Those who exercise but little faith now, are in the greatest danger of falling under the power of satanic delusions and the decree to compel the conscience. And even if they endure the test they will be plunged into deeper distress and anguish in the time of trouble, because they have never made it a habit to trust in God. The lessons of faith which they have neglected they will be forced to learn under a terrible pressure of discouragement.
(The Great Controversy pg. 622)
What can Christian moms, grandmas, aunts, and female mentors learn from this?
Are we, like Lois and Eunice, allowing our faith to influence what we do, say, plan, dress, eat,drink, read, watch, and think about?
Are we making it a HABIT to trust God an let Him lead us and guide us in every big and small thing we face?
Are we, like Lois and Eunice, building our lives upon the foundation of trustful faith in Christ?
Or, as Christian women, are we building our lives on a different foundation?
What is influencing our decisions, our plans, our thought patterns, our lives?
Is it gentuine faith?
Or something else?
A Prayer
If, dear reader, you feel convicted by the Holy Spirit for not truly being a desirable example of true Christianity to the younger generations around you, or for not seriously allowing faith to influence every corner of your life, or both of those things, I wanna encourage you to just pray:
I’d like to conclude this blog post with a sermon by LaVerne Jackson that I hope and pray will encourage you to live out the godly legacy that Lois lived out!
Amen! Maranatha!
Like!! Really appreciate you sharing this blog post.Really thank you! Keep writing.