Day 24 — Faith Passed Down

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well.”

— 2 Timothy 1:5 (BSB)

Paul had a young friend named Timothy, whom he trained to be a church leader. In a letter to Timothy, Paul remembered where Timothy’s faith came from. It started with two women: his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice.

Timothy’s father wasn’t a believer. But his grandmother and mother taught him the Scriptures from the time he was a little boy (2 Timothy 3:15). They showed him what it looked like to love God. And their “sincere faith” became his faith too.

Sincere means real, honest and true, not fake or just for show. Lois and Eunice didn’t just go through the motions of being religious. Their faith was real, and it showed.

And look what happened! Timothy grew up to become a pastor and one of the most important leaders in the early church. Two faithful women helped shape a man who helped shape the church.

This is one of the most powerful kinds of leadership: leading by example, passing faith on to the next generation.

Maybe there’s a grandma, a mom, an aunt or another woman in your life who has shown you what real faith looks like. Thank God for her!

And guess what? You can be a Lois or a Eunice too, starting now. Younger kids are watching you: younger siblings, cousins, kids at church and kids in your neighborhood. What are they learning about God from watching you? You can pass faith on by:

• Reading Bible stories to younger kids.
• Praying with them.
• Being kind and patient with them.
• Showing them that following Jesus is real and good.
• Living a “sincere” faith, the same at home as at church.

Faith isn’t just passed down from grown-ups to kids. Sometimes kids pass it up and across too, to their parents, their friends and their neighbors.

A true story: Elisabeth Elliot’s husband, Jim, and four of his friends went to share the good news with a people in the forests of Ecuador who killed strangers who came near. The five men were killed. Everyone would have understood if Elisabeth had given up. Instead, she did something astonishing. With the sister of one of the other men, she went to live among the very people who had killed them. She learned their language, cared for their sick and lived as their neighbor. Many of them became followers of Jesus, including some of the men who had thrown the spears. Her faith, lived out, led a whole people to God. You can read her story in Brave for God.

Think about it: Who has passed faith on to you? Who could you pass faith on to?

Try this: Thank a woman who has helped your faith grow. Then do something to help a younger child learn about Jesus.

Dear God, thank You for the women who have shown me what real faith looks like. Help my faith be sincere, not fake. Help me pass faith on to others, especially younger kids who are watching me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.