Grandparenting The Next Generation By Stuart BriscoeSample

Kingdom Builders

But there’s something else of immense importance. The apostle Paul was a great team builder and it’s interesting and informative to see how he identified young men of promise and entered into a discipling or mentoring ministry with them. Timothy appears to have been one of his favorites—at least he wrote of him: “I have no one else like him” (Philippians 2:20).

Paul entrusted Timothy with significant responsibilities and activities which belied his youthfulness and relative inexperience. Paul referred to Timothy as “my son,” suggesting that Paul had introduced him to the Savior. This young man had been raised by a Jewish mother, a Greek father, and a Jewish grandmother. The father was apparently not a believer and may even have been less than supportive of the faith life of mother and grandmother. This may explain why Timothy, son of a Jewish mother, had not been circumcised.  

Nevertheless, Paul identified the profound influence of the “sincere faith which first lived” (2 Timothy 1:5) in Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice, and noted approvingly that this same faith lived in Timothy. Although we do not have the details of Timothy’s home life, whatever they might be, there’s no doubt that Lois was a woman of faith. Her faith was sincere and it was a living faith. Presumably, that means it was alive in her personality and character and lived out in her family life. 

This information about a key New Testament personality is significant because it demonstrates the influence of a godly grandparent on an impressionable younger person. Their relationship not only helped form Timothy’s life of faith, but it set him on the road to a life of significance in the kingdom of God. 

Grandmother Lois was a kingdom builder. And so is every grandparent who has a living faith that is lived out so winsomely and consistently that it becomes attractive to watching succeeding generations. This faith can then be eventually embraced by the next generation to the glory of God, the blessing of humanity, and the eternal well-being of grandchildren. 

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Reflection:

1. What role are you currently playing in the lives of your grandchildren? How would you like that role to change in the future?
2. Gifts never age! So how might God want to use you as a grandparent to influence the next generation?