Pass the Torch

I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother and mother. 

– 2 Timothy 1:5

Paul spoke these words above in 2 Timothy as he was writing his final letter to his spiritual son, Timothy.  Paul wrote his “last words” from prison while he waited to be executed under Emperor Nero’s authority.  I imagine Timothy struggling through tears to read the letter.

Do you have a spiritual mentor who passed you the torch of faith?

Timothy had his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois who were early Christians.  These two women shared what they’d heard about Jesus from eyewitnesses who had known Jesus, seen His miracles, or were present when darkness fell over the earth from noon until 3pm, when Jesus spoke His last words from the cross.

Eunice and Lois shared their faith in Jesus with Timothy.   They told Him the true stories of Jesus’ resurrection, His last days on the earth, and His amazing grace and love for all of God’s children.  They passed the torch of faith to the next generation.  

Timothy went on to lead the church at Ephesus and to live out God’s calling upon his life.  I bet his matriarchs were so very proud of him.

Think back at the generations who have lived before you.  Do you have any pillars of faith in your family tree?  I am so thankful I do.  

My maternal grandfather, Gene, introduced me to Jesus when I was only a toddler.  I remember listening to his prayers at meal time as the family gathered around the dining room table, and I remember his prayers at church in front of the whole congregation at Christmas time.  Maybe that is why I pray with my family every night and I’m not afraid to pray aloud in front of my church.

My paternal grandmother, Jessie, taught Sunday School in her little church in Tipton, Indiana year after year.  She would sit me on her lap as a preschooler and read the Bible.  Maybe that is why I’ve taught Sunday School since I was in high school and I love reading the Bible to children of all ages now.

If you have benefitted from a spiritual heritage, give God thanks and praise today.  If you can’t find a Christian lineage in your family tree, start it yourself.  In both cases, be intentional about how you share your faith in Jesus with your family, those older and younger than you. 

All it takes is one or two faithful followers to change an entire family tree.  Be a part of growing and nurturing a fruitful family tree.