I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and . . . now lives in you. 2 Timothy 1:5

We were seated around the dinner table when my nine-year-old grandson said with a smile, “I’m just like Grandma. I love to read!” His words brought joy to my heart. I thought back to the year before when he’d been sick and stayed home from school. After he took a long nap, we sat together side by side reading. I was happy to be passing along the legacy of loving books that I’d received from my mother.

But that’s not the most important legacy I want to pass on to my grandchildren. I pray the legacy of faith I received from my parents and sought to pass on to my children will also help my grandchildren in their journey toward faith.

Timothy had the legacy of a godly mother and grandmother—and a spiritual mentor, the apostle Paul. The apostle wrote, “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” (2 Timothy 1:5).

We may think our lives haven’t been positive enough to be a good example for others. Maybe the legacy passed down to us wasn’t a good one. But it’s never too late to build a legacy of faith into our children, grandchildren, or any child’s life. Through God’s help, we plant seeds of faith. He’s the one who makes faith grow (1 Corinthians 3:6-9).

What kind of spiritual inheritance did you receive? How can you build a legacy of faith?

Heavenly Father, thank You for bringing me to You. Please help me to be a godly example to others.

For further study, read Walk with Me: Traveling with Jesus and Others on Life’s Road.

Amos 1-3; Revelation 6

In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul describes the way in which faith in Jesus is received, nurtured, and passed on within families: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice.” Though no one is saved by the faith of their parents, being part of a family of believers in Christ provides a biblical foundation. Exposing children to the truths of the Bible and the character of God picks up on the Jewish tradition found in the Shema (an important Old Testament prayer found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9): “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments . . . are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (vv. 4-7).

J.R. Hudberg