Saturday, August 22 — Thankful For An Established Faith

Behind almost every strong believer stands a praying grandmother or a faithful mother whose name the world never learned.

2 Timothy 1:1-16 — KJV

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. 15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:

2 Timothy 1:1-16 — WEB

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve as my forefathers did, with a pure conscience. How unceasing is my memory of you in my petitions, night and day 4 longing to see you, remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 having been reminded of the unfeigned faith that is in you, which lived first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and, I am persuaded, in you also. 6 For this cause, I remind you that you should stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. 8 Therefore don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News. 11 For this, I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day. 13 Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. 15 This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from me; of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain,

Explanation

This is the chapter our whole week has been leaning toward. Paul, near the end of his life and writing from prison, pens a deeply personal letter to Timothy, and in it he finally names the women behind the man. I am reminded of the sincere faith that is in you, which lived first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and, I am persuaded, in you also. Three generations, one faith, handed down hand to hand. This is home training given names and faces.

Paul calls it unfeigned, or sincere, faith. It was not for show. Lois and Eunice were not performing religion. They believed, and their believing shaped the atmosphere Timothy grew up breathing. By the time Paul met him, the foundation was already poured. That is why Paul can tell Timothy to stir up the gift of God that is in you, like fanning a fire that is already lit. You do not stir up something that was never there. The home had put the coals in place.

Then comes verse seven, one of the most quoted lines in all of Scripture. God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Timothy seems to have been a timid young man, easily discouraged, and Paul reminds him that timidity is not his inheritance. The same faith that was established in him also carried power, love, and self-discipline. When you have been rooted in something real, you can face hardship without being ruled by fear.

Paul is honest that faithfulness costs something. He is in chains. He mentions that people in Asia have abandoned him. Then, almost in the same breath, he stops to thank God for Onesiphorus, a friend who was not ashamed of his chains and often refreshed him. Even a giant like Paul needed people who showed up. Faith is established at home and then sustained by a community that refuses to walk away when things get hard.

For those of us who had a Lois or a Eunice, today is a day for gratitude. Somebody prayed for us before we could pray for ourselves. Somebody's sincere faith set the table we now eat from. And for those who did not have that, the invitation is to become the first link, the Lois or Eunice whose faith some future believer will one day thank God for.

Tomorrow is Sunday. We gather to talk about the home that shaped Timothy and the faith that outlived the ones who planted it. Come thankful.

Thought for the Day

Somebody's sincere faith set the table you now eat from.

Reflection Question

Whose faith established yours, and have you ever thanked God out loud for them by name?

Prayer

Father, thank You for the Loises and Eunices in my life, the ones whose sincere faith shaped mine before I understood it. Stir up the gift You have placed in me. Remind me that You gave me power, love, and a sound mind, not fear. And where no one handed faith to me, let me be the one who starts the chain. Amen.

This week we walk toward Sunday's lesson: Timothy, The Influence of Home Training.