Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
In The Faith of  Mothers


Santhosh George
 St. Johns MTC, NY

5.  I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.

 
If there was one group of people in the Bible who was underappreciated and unnoticed, it is the mothers.  Throughout the Bible, we see strong faithful men coming to the scene and working hard to give glory to their creator and sometimes even miserably failing in that journey.  It would be foolishness to think that these men were self-made without any influence from the home they came from.  We come across several prophets, kings, priests, etc.  There are even some faithful women who we meet through the Scriptures. But, mothers?  Only a handful!  Keeping that in mind, we can understand the gravity of Paul’s comments regarding Timothy’s mother and grandmother.  Secondly the Book of  Timothy is the most personal of the Pastoral letters, most of it is directed specifically to Timothy.  But, Paul begins with his witness to the unseen foundation in the young pastor.  
Sincere faith that transmits through generation:
To say that children absorb everything we do, more than what we proclaim with our mouth is an understatement!  No matter how much we preach, unless we embody our own teaching, children would see through us and call us hypocrites.  On the contrary, here Paul highlights the sincere faith that lives in Timothy which was passed down through his grandmother and mother. This faith had “lived in” their characters, not proclaimed through words alone.  Imagine how proud Eunice would have felt hearing this from Paul!  He is an outsider to the family giving witness to the unwavering faith that was displayed through Timothy’s service. Mothers have a unique place in molding a child’s faith and character.  Sincere faith is not a state of mind, but a continuous way of life.  We must continuously work towards having a sincere faith.  We must recognize the mothers who work very hard to mold and shape the next generation.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we thank you for providing us faithful mothers to look up to.  Help us to stay true to the truth they shared with us.  Enable us to have the vision to see the unseen sacrifices that mothers make daily.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

What are we passing down to our children?  A set of directions without a model or a  faith that is lived out in flesh and is rooted in Jesus.   

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind wh...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tel...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things...
Read more