By Pastor Greg...
Have you heard the latest
news? It seems there is legislation in
Harrisburg that would allow PennDOT to place speed cameras in active work zones
on limited access highways. Well, that’s
great news, am I right? Even when the
police are not around, they will be able
to tell if you have been speeding.
We didn’t have that kind of
technology when I was younger. We didn’t
need it. We had mothers.
My mother was a psychic. No, seriously. She should have been on the Ed Sullivan show
(And now a really terrific act all the way from Pennsylvania. Put your hands together for Lois). I kid you not; I would pull in the driveway, and there was mom
with that look on her face. Somehow, she
knew. She always knew.
My mother had to constantly look over my shoulder when I was
younger… which became a full-time job for her.
I was quite a handful. I can
still remember the lectures. Mother
would talk to me about good and
acceptable behavior. She would go on and
on about why certain behaviors and
actions were wrong. Eventually, she
would let out a sigh and, exasperated, remind me that I was a child of
God. I don’t know if she was trying to teach me this or convince herself.
I understand now what my mother
was attempting to do. She was trying to
pass along godliness. She desired that my behavior would be guided by Christian principles; that
my life reflected Jesus. And she wanted
me to act this way even when she was not watching.
Many mothers bring their children to
church or Sunday school in hopes that they might learn godly characteristics; that
they might learn how to love, how to be more joyful, how to be more peaceful,
how to be patient and kind, and to learn how to practice some self-control.
For this reason, many godly mothers continue to teach their children
godly characteristics. And most mothers are
looking forward to a day when their children can learn to do these things even
when she is not watching.
So, what is the best way to make that
happen? May I suggest you follow the
example of Eunice and Lois. These two women
passed along their faith to a young man named Timothy. And his faith
caught the attention of the Apostle Paul.
Writing to his young friend Timothy,
Paul say, 5 I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois
and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. 6 This
is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I
laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of
fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.[1]
(2 Timothy 1:5-7).
At what point were Lois and Eunice
able to stop looking over this boy’s shoulder?
What happened that caused Timothy to develop these characteristics on
his own? When he left home to follow the
traveling Apostle, how did they know the boy would live a godly life even
though they were not around?
Eunice was a Jew who took the
responsibility of teaching her son Timothy the Holy Scriptures. Paul admits this, as he writes, “You have been taught the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and
they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting
in Christ Jesus” [2]
2 Tim. 3:15). From early childhood, his godly mother Eunice and his
faithful grandmother Lois taught him the Word of God. But I believe it was more than simply teaching these things. I suspect Timothy was changed because he saw
his mother and grandmother live what
they believed. They allowed Timothy to see their faith, not just lecture the
boy about the faith. But also notice what else Paul says here;
these women helped Timothy “receive the salvation that comes by trusting in
Christ Jesus.”
As Timothy watched his mother and grandmother
live their faith, they passed along to the young man the reason for what he was seeing in them. These two women were loving, patient, and
kind because they had been “reborn” through faith in Jesus. It was the Spirit living in them that enabled
them to live in the world but not like the world; faith in Christ is what
made them different.
I would say the same thing happened in
my own life. My mother could have
preached to me until she was blue in the face.
But until I learned to be the type of person who was surrendered to God
and allowed Him to work through me,
she still had to watch over my shoulder; guiding and directing me to model
godly characteristics in my life. But a
day came when what I saw lived in my mother and what I saw lived in my grandmother
was passed on to me; I learned how to be a person surrendered to the influence
of God because it was modeled for me by a Lois in my own life.
Godliness is more often caught than
taught. Chances are Timothy caught
godliness from his mother and grandmother.
He saw two women who were conduits; ladies who were surrendered to God’s
influence and who allowed His love, His joy, His peace, patience, kindness, and
gentleness to live through them. Isn’t
it beautiful that the faith which filled first Lois and then Eunice now filled
Timothy? It was caught, not just taught.
Mothers, you have a tremendous
opportunity to model godliness to your children; actually, every woman in this
place has a chance to be an influence in
a child’s life. Every woman can model godliness to the children in this place. As the children of this church watch you (and
they are watching you), you help
create a child of faith when they see faith
demonstrated in you.
Mothers, I challenge you to not just
teach godly principles but to also model a holy
life. I can tell you that there is one young man who didn’t believe it
because he was told but believed because
he saw it lived out day by day in a mother and in a grandmother. And ladies, if there are no children in your
life, please know that you still can influence the children in our church
family; not just by teaching faith but by living the faith for all to see.
And don’t forget to tell them how. Tell the children how they can become loving,
joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good,
faithful, gentle, and controlled. Tell
them that these godly characteristics they see in you can be theirs through
faith in Christ Jesus.
[1]Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Holy Bible : New
Living Translation. "Text edition"--Spine. (2nd ed.) (2 Ti
1:5-7). Wheaton , Ill.
[2]Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Holy Bible : New
Living Translation. "Text edition"--Spine. (2nd ed.) (2 Ti 3:15).
Wheaton , Ill.
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