A Legacy of Love & Faithfulness

By Ryan Dawson

What does a legacy of love and faithfulness look like?  There is a great picture of passing on a spiritual legacy in the letter called 2 Timothy, where the Apostle Paul is writing to his young protégé, Timothy.  Paul references Timothy’s spiritual heritage, and it is interesting to note what is there and what is not.  

2 Timothy 1:5-7 "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."

Paul mentions Timothy’s mother Lois, and his grandmother Eunice and the impact they had on this young man.  Clearly both these women loved Jesus, and as early Christian converts, they passed on their faith in God to Timothy, resulting in him coming to Christ and giving his life to serve Christ.  It is interesting to note that Timothy’s father is not mentioned in this equation, and it is likely he was not a believer or in the picture for some reason.   But God used these godly women to leave a legacy that would impact the world.  Timothy would go on to pastor the church at Ephesus and his missionary impact would reverberate around the world.  Thank God for godly mothers and grandmothers who pass on their faith to the next generation!  

This is also a strong reminder for us to live out our faith and communicate our faith to our loved ones at home.  Don’t hide your light at home because our families are fertile fields for planting seeds of the Good News.  Let your children, grandchildren, parents, spouse, brothers and sisters know of your faith in Jesus, and be sure they see Christ’s love, helpfulness, and joy in you.  When you do this you will leave a legacy that changes the world in big and small ways, for the glory of God.  

Blessings, Ryan

PS.  I also want to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all the great moms and spiritual mothers at Sequoia.  We love and appreciate you so much!  Thank you for being great examples of love and faith!