I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.~ 2 Timothy 1:5 ESV
Now that I am a grandmother that verse still draws me to be mindful of continuing to nurture not just the faith of my now-adult children, but my grandbabies. It is a reminder to teach them God's Word at a young age. The Lord used the influence of Timothy's mother and grandmother in bringing him to saving faith. The Lord also used them in instructing Timothy in the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:14-17).
The Lord used the influence of Timothy's mother and grandmother in bringing him to saving faith.Encouragement to Moms with Unbelieving Husbands & Single Parents
It seems that Timothy’s dad was a Greek unbeliever (Acts 16:1). The Scriptures don’t tell us why Eunice married a man who was not a believer. The Old Testament was clear that Jews should not marry unbelievers, but I love the story of Eunice because it gives hope to those that are in mixed marriages. Eunice, by God’s grace, raised Timothy, who the Lord used mightily, and this gives hope and encouragement to your role and influence even if your husband is not a believer.
We know the Lord desires for the father to lead in the spiritual training of the children, but dear mama, you still have a great influence in the spiritual life of your children. This is a great encouragement for single moms too. If your faith is genuine and sincere, your children will see the impact Christ has on your daily life.
Ways to Influence Our Children in the Faith
As stated above, we must have a sincere faith. A sincere faith is one that has repented and believed upon the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our children can sense hypocrisy pretty easily. This doesn’t mean perfection but does mean that we walk with Christ every day. Our children need to see the importance of God’s Word in our lives. Do they see us spending time in His Word and prayer? Do they see us with repentant hearts in our home when we sin against another family member? How are our words when we talk about others in our homes? Is love as described in 1 Corinthians 13 lived out?
Are you submissive to your husband? Do you express spiritually weak areas in your own life to your children and how you are continuing to desire to grow in them? Is there a true thankfulness and joy in your heart when you talk about the Lord.
When our faith is genuine, it is contagious, and our kids will see that best lived out as we humbly walk with our Savior from day-to-day.
Love for God’s Word
The main way any of us learn how to love and serve and know God is through His Word. This means it must be read and taught. Make church a priority in your family and instill a love for the family of God within your home. Mama, you must grow to love God’s Word because you can’t give them something you don’t possess. If they see it isn’t a priority in your life, it probably won’t be important in theirs.
Related Resource: Spiritual Disciplines Series
Read God’s Word to your children from the time they are young. Teach them to memorize God’s Word, sing hymns and spiritual songs together, pray together and, most importantly, share the Gospel with them time and time again.
We can't save our children, but we can preach the Gospel to them and pray for the salvation of their souls.
This quote from Charles Spurgeon was shared from when he overheard his mom praying for the salvation of her children:
“Now, Lord, if my children go on in their sins, it will not be from ignorance that they perish, and my soul must bear swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold of Christ.”
May it not be said of us that our children would be in ignorance of the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Related Podcast Episode: Our Best Parenting is Done by Prayer
Where To Begin?
Today is a new day and God’s mercies are new. If you feel like you have failed, repent, and begin obeying God in this important area to influence your children to know the God of the Bible in a saving way and that they too, like Timothy, may one day have a sincere faith.
There are many things we can pass on to our children, but the most important is the example of our faith in Jesus.
Related Resources:
Biblically Communicating with Our Children
An Important Reminder to Imperfect Parents
Thank you so much for this post!
Beautiful and inspirational post. You have a lovely blog. 🙂
Thank you so much Linda xo