Your Genuine Faith

Day 295: 2 Timothy 1:1-18

“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. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.” - 2 Timothy 1:5-6 NLT

I think many times we often downplay the significance of simple, daily interactions and what God can set in motion as a result of them.

Do you think Grandma Lois knew what would become of Timothy as she prayed over him while changing his diapers? Do you think Momma Eunice knew of her son's future when she had to discipline him as a pre-teen or make him attend worship (at someone's home) when he didn't want to?

Probably not. Yet these women invested in Timothy's life, and that investment compounded into a genuine, exponential faith. The word genuine (anypokritos) can also be translated as without hypocrisy. This kind of faith is only reproduced by consistently seeing other Christians who are the real deal.

By the time Paul arrived on the scene, his job was relatively easy with Timothy. He was laying his hands on a young man who was readied by strong women of faith. From this foundation, Paul was now able to equip and encourage Timothy into a great leader and successor.

Donald Guthrie said it well as he wrote, ”The apostle was not only deeply conscious of the powerful home influences which had shaped his own career, but was impressed by the saintly atmosphere of Timothy’s home.”

This naturally turns itself to us. How are we helping to raise up the next generation of Christian leaders? It isn’t as complicated as you may think, but it does require genuine and consistent faith in Jesus. It is also going to take a lot of patience. Are you up for it?