Reflection:
Timothy, one of the apostle Paul’s companions and co-workers, was a man of God and a leader of God’s people. In church history, we learn that Timothy went on to become the first-century bishop of Ephesus. Timothy met Paul on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-4). Yet this reflection is not about Timothy. Â
Paul says in his second letter to Timothy, ‘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’ (2 Timothy 1:5). This reflection is about the influence of Timothy’s mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois. It was these women, whose ‘sincere faith’ Paul remembered, who taught Timothy what they knew about God. Paul reminds Timothy that he has known God’s word ‘from infancy’, which made him wise for salvation through Christ Jesus. His mother and grandmother took on the important task of teaching Timothy from the time he was a baby about God, and his salvation through Jesus. They taught him God’s word – and what an important task they accomplished!Â
Were you taught God’s word from infancy, to make you wise for salvation through Jesus? Do you have the opportunity now to teach a child the Bible, so that they can know God’s salvation?
Prayer:
Dear God, we praise you for the faithfulness of Timothy’s mother and grandmother. Thank you for the important work they undertook, training their son and grandson in your Holy Scriptures, so he could be ‘wise for salvation’ in Jesus. Lord, we pray that we would take every opportunity to teach the children you bring into our lives from the Bible – that we’d teach them how much you love them, and how they can know your salvation through Jesus. Amen.Â