Mothers Who Make a Difference

Introduction

Paul commends Timothy for his unfeigned faith but we learn here that this faith did not originate with him but actually could be traced back to a godly mother and even further to a godly grandmother.

It is easy for a mother to think that she has little opportunity to make a great impact on the world as she spends here time caring for her children and her home.

It is my goal today to help you to recognize the tremendous impact that you may have by simply investing in the lives of your children and passing to them an unfeigned faith that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives and which will motivate them to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not have a large portion of scripture dedicated to Lois and Eunice, Timothy’s grandmother and mother, but we do see the great impact that their faith had upon young Timothy.

What does it take for a mother or a grandmother to pass along the unfeigned faith that Paul reference here?

It will require:

A Sincere Faith

If you are going to pass along an unfeigned faith to your children, it stands to reason that you must possess this type of faith yourself.

The first and primary question that must be asked is “Mothers do you have an unfeigned faith in Christ?”

Let me ask you, have you sincerely placed your faith in Jesus Christ as savior. Can you go back to a distinct moment in time when you recognized that you were a sinner bound for hell and realized that the only hope you had of salvation was in Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

I am not asking you this morning if you go to church, if you read the bible, if you pray, if you try to live an upright moral life. These are all commendable yet it is your sincere faith in Christ that is the necessary foundation upon which your motherhood must be built.

Every child needs a mother who has a vibrant personal relationship with Jesus Christ for this will motivate her to lead her children in a manner pleasing to God.

Mothers, I want to encourage you to make certain that you are taking the time to invest in your relationship with the Lord because this will determine the extent to which you can help your children to develop in their relationship with Christ.

Illustration- oxygen masks on a plane- you must put yours on first before helping anyone else- to lead others into a relationship with Christ you must have a relationship with Him yourself.

We do not have the details of Timothy’s mother and grandmother’s conversion, yet we do know that Paul believed they were absolutely sincere in their faith in Christ.

Timothy was a third generation Christian and we can be sure that the sincere faith of his mother and grandmother played an important role in his own conversion.

A Strong Testimony- for Jesus Christ

We can be certain that Timothy’s mother and grandmother exhibited a testimony that served as the evidence of the faith that they possessed.

What these godly ladies professed to believe shaped every part of their lives such that there was no question as to the sincerity of their faith.

Even Paul was able to recognize the sincerity of their faith, describing their faith as an “unfeigned” (genuine, sincere, without hypocrisy) faith.

Mothers does your life present indisputable evidence of your faith in Christ?

Your testimony will make a powerful impact upon your children be it in a positive sense or a negative.

There can be no doubt that Timothy had observed his mother and his grandmother’s behavior as they taught him the Word of God and explained to him what they believed concerning Jesus Christ.

You must understand that your children are watching and they will judge the sincerity of your faith by the behavior you exhibit. They are constantly watching to see if what has been taught is being practiced.

You will never make a significant impact by instructing your children to “do as you say, not as you do.”

Your children should witness the joy and excitement you show for each opportunity you have to go to the house of God.

Your children should see you take time out of each day to pray and to read the bible.

Your children should notice the christ-like character of your interactions with others as you exhibit kindness and compassion.

Your children should hear your chaste conversation that honors Christ and doesn’t tear down others.

All of these things will have an enormous impact on their own spiritual development.

A Steadfast Resolve-to influence your children for Christ

It is terribly unfortunate that there are so many today who have decided that they will not exert any significant influence over what their children believe.

It is your responsibility to “Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

We cannot afford for mothers to sit by and simply hope that their child will come to faith in Christ on their own without your influence.

You certainly cannot force your children to trust Christ or to serve the Lord, but you must do all that you can to lead them in the Lord’s direction.

II Timothy 3:15- his mother and grandmother had evidently taught him the Word of God from a very early age.

You should begin at a very early age teaching your children about God and about Jesus Christ. You should take the time to teach them the truths of the Word of God.

Instead of pressuring them towards a well-paying career, you should encourage them to seek the Lord and to consider full-time ministry.

Instead of spending hours of time and large sums of money to train them in sports, you should train them to serve the Lord and encourage them to find something they can do to minister to others. (Your child has about a 0.1% chance of becoming a professional athlete)

Mothers do not underestimate the influence you have upon your children’s future. You have a wonderful opportunity to exert that influence for good.

You should do all that you can to influence your children to love the Lord, to love the Word of God, to love the people of God, to love the house of God. Your influence may make the difference.

There are numerous example of great men and women throughout history who credit their mothers influence with helping them to develop into the person they became.

Illustration- John and Charles Wesley- their mother from an early age prayed with and for them and taught them the word of God and instilled in them a strong faith in God. “I learned more about God from my mother than from all the theologians in England.” (Charles Wesley)

“Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children.” (Billy Graham)

““I cannot tell how much I owe to the prayers of my good mother.” (Charles Spurgeon)

“All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.” (George Washington)