Hand Me Downs

2 Timothy 1:3-5

³ I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. ⁴ Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Have you ever been the recipient of hand me down clothes and items from your older siblings? Remember the times you said ‘thanks’ and took them, but cringed inwardly and rolled your eyes as you turned away, knowing full well that you will never use it?

What about us as believers? In addition to possessions, what are we hoping to pass down to our children? Are we hoping that our children will emulate our faith in Christ in their own life? Will they roll their eyes and turn away?

When we hear the word ‘legacy’, our minds immediately conjure images of land, possessions, houses and wealth. All these are good, however, greater is the legacy of our faith, which is priceless and more rewarding than anything tangible we can hand down to our children. The influence we have on our kids cannot be overstated.

Paul wrote in 2 Tim 1:3-5 that the faith he now sees in Timothy, first lived in his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice.

When Ruth agreed to follow Naomi, her mother-in-law, and said those notable words “Your God will be my God”, she was saying ‘yes’ to receiving Naomi’s legacy of faith in God. A God that she didn’t know, but had seen in Naomi’s life.

Elisha coveted Elijah’s mantle because he saw that God’s hand moved in response to Elijah’s faith.

Passing on our faith to the younger generation doesn’t have to involve big speeches or spectacular miracles. It is shown in simple acts of love and childlike faith in our daily walk.

The questions I ask myself are:

• Is my faith evident in my day-to-day life?
• Is my faith like a yo-yo most days, making them doubt the authenticity of the gospel?
• Am I preaching to them without walking the talk?
• What kind of faith am I leaving behind? Weak faith that trembles and flickers with circumstances or great faith that stands on God’s Word and sees results?

Here are some practical things we can do to help shape our children’s faith.

• Write your encounters with the Lord – from simple everyday life lessons, to profound miracles – in a journal, so that future generations will have something tangible.
• Talk to the children in your life about how the Lord intervened during difficult times in your life.
• Tell them how God still loved you when fear replaced faith through seasons of failure and struggle.

I leave you with this scripture. Meditate on it and believe His Word. Trust the Lord that the children in your life will not fall by the wayside. Like Abraham who didn’t stagger at the weight of the promise, we too must believe in a God of the impossible.

Isaiah 54:13
All your children will be taught by the Lord,
and great will be their peace.

In His Service,

Sohani Faria
Director
Sound of the Lord Mission