September 14, 2026 | Be Connected
Timothy's Family of Faith
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1-5(NIV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 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.
Devotional
Their knees wore smooth the wooden floor,
their voices calm in storm and doubt.
They passed the flame from door to door
and lit the light that won’t go out.
I walk today on paths they cleared,
with hope they carried through the pain.
By ancient prayers, I am steered,
their faith is water in my rain.
A thousand souls are in my blood,
a legacy of strength and grace.
They hold me steady in the flood,
the quiet courage of our race.
I am the dream they dared to dream,
with trust that goes beyond the eye.
With them, I see the sun’s soft beam,
under the same eternal sky.
(The Weave of Time - author unknown)
When I was a little girl, I remember sitting beside my mother and grandmother on Sunday mornings in the pew of Wakarusa United Methodist Church. I learned a lot from this experience - how to fold my hands in my lap during prayer, how to sing the alto part of all the old well-known hymns, and, especially, the importance of being quiet during the service (“SHHHHHHHH Kim, you have to be quiet now!”). I can only imagine that they learned the same spiritual practices from their mother and grandmother as well.
Legacy - passing down our faith to the next generation. Today’s passage highlights the legacy passed down to Timothy by his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, who were early Christian converts. In the first century, young boys’ primary teacher was their mother and possibly their grandmother if she was part of the household. So, Timothy was taught the Hebrew scriptures from the time he was a small child. And then, when his mother and grandmother became followers of Jesus, he learned Jesus’ message as well. Timothy is the beneficiary of the living faith of those wise and faithful women.
Today, our ancestors of the past, by blood or otherwise - our own Eunice and Lois - now live in us. Professor Liam Callahan once said, “We all carry people inside us, people who came before us.” That is the perfect definition of what it means to leave a legacy. And in our case, as Christians, it is passing down our faith from this generation to the next.
“Don’t hide your light at home. Our families are fertile fields for planting seeds of the Good News. Let your parents, children, spouse, brothers and sisters know of your faith in Jesus and be sure they see Christ’s love, helpfulness and joy in you.” (Life Application Study Bible)
To whom can you pass on your legacy of faith? To whom can you be a Eunice or Lois?
