“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice…” (2 Timothy 1:5).
Not long ago, I found myself becoming concerned for my wife. She seemed almost flippant about coming to church. Church has always been a priority in our home, so I couldn’t understand why she seemed so casual about it. Then she reminded me of something I had failed to consider. While I was in the sanctuary preaching or listening to a sermon, she was wrestling a toddler, changing diapers, rocking a crying baby, and spending much of the service in the nursery. In that moment, the Lord corrected my thinking. She wasn’t neglecting ministry. She was fulfilling one.
That realization caused me to think about how often we misunderstand ministry. We tend to associate ministry with pulpits, classrooms, mission fields, and public platforms. We admire pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and Sunday school teachers, and rightly so. Yet one of the most influential ministries in the church is carried out quietly every week by faithful mothers whose congregation may consist of only one restless child. Their audience cannot yet sing the hymns, quote the verses, or even sit still through a sermon, but their little eyes are watching everything.
Paul understood the power of a mother’s influence. Writing to Timothy, he reminded him that before his faith was strengthened by the Apostle Paul’s ministry, it had already been planted in his home. “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice…” (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy’s spiritual heritage did not begin in a Bible college or a missionary journey. It began with a godly mother and grandmother whose faith was genuine enough to be seen and strong enough to be passed on.
Children are always learning, even when no lesson is being taught. Before they can read the Bible, they read their parents. They learn whether church is something that can easily be skipped or something that is treasured. They observe how mom speaks to others, how she responds when she is tired, and how she handles trials. A mother’s example often teaches long before her words do.
This is why the Scriptures place such emphasis upon the home. Moses instructed Israel, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). God’s design has never been for parents to outsource the spiritual training of their children and the home is God’s first classroom.
Paul reinforces this truth again when he tells Timothy, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures…” (2 Timothy 3:15). Timothy did not simply discover the Scriptures one day. Someone patiently taught him. Someone repeated those stories and answered his questions. That “someone” was primarily his mother and grandmother.
Mom, if you lovingly care for the little life God has entrusted to you, you are obeying the Lord and fulfilling a portion of His will for your life. When you participate in raising your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, He sees your quiet faithfulness as you serve your family.
Likewise, Titus 2 instructs the older women to teach the younger women “to love their husbands, to love their children… to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands; that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:4–5). These responsibilities are not presented as secondary or insignificant. They are tied directly to the honor of God’s word. The world often belittles motherhood as though it were something a woman settles for when she cannot accomplish something more important. The Bible presents motherhood as one of the highest callings God can entrust to a woman.
A quotation frequently attributed to John Wesley states, “I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians in England.” Although historians have not been able to verify that he actually said these exact words, they accurately reflect the profound influence Susanna Wesley had on his life and ministry.
Mama, what are you teaching your baby?
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Amen
Excellent !!
Thank you
Needed this today!
Spot on