Eunice was a single mother. She had been raised in Judaism by her mother, Lois. At some point Eunice met and married a man that was a Gentile, a pagan. That is all we know about her husband. Perhaps he died or simply left the home. But at some point during their marriage she became pregnant and gave birth to a boy that would make an impact on the world for almost two millennia. His name was Timothy. The boy would live up to his name, meaning “one who fears (reverences; awes) God.”

Timothy’s father was gone, but Eunice had some help from her mom. These two ladies knew the Old Testament scriptures for all Jewish children were taught them. They were not believers when Timothy was born, but they loved Jehovah and they loved “Moses and the prophets.” Acts 14 tells of the time Paul was fleeing Iconium and landed in Lystra and Derbe where he continued to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Most scholars think this is the city where Lois, Eunice and young Timothy all met Christ. Those Old Testament scriptures have now come alive when they realized Jesus was the Messiah. From that moment forward, their lives would forever be changed. Let me give you three thoughts.

  1. The Savior became Preeminent. II Timothy 1:5, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned (genuine) faith that is in thee, which first dwelt in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” Single mothers have a hard time. It was hard then and it is hard now. Fortunately, Eunice had a partner to help. They could tag-team. The men were nowhere to be found. Not only is Eunice’s husband not around, neither is her father, Lois’s husband. Perhaps both have passed. Either way the road is hard for these ladies. God uses them in spite of their circumstances.
  2. The Scriptures were Paramount. II Timothy 4:15, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” When teaching children, the Bible is a big deal. The scriptures are the most important part of a child’s education. The “shema” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) was to be taught in every home. Love God mightily, teach the kids diligently and daily have the verses on door posts and gate posts. Write the verses and put them on the child’s wrist. Lois and Eunice seemed to take the task of educating Timothy seriously. If I had to choose (which I do not) between a Christian education and a well-known, prestigious, accolated secular education, I would choose the Christian one. Hands down, that is my choice. The child would be better served and not have their faith (the one you spent years trying to instill) ripped from them.
  3. The Prestige of Service. Don’t you like award ceremonies where kids are being honored? I do, especially when it revolves around the Lord. It is beautiful when plaques are awarded and years later those can bring back fond memories. Now put that parent hat on for a moment. When your little boy or little girl receives honor for a job well done, don’t you swell with pride? Sure you do and rightly so. Don’t you think that these two women were grateful for what God had done for their little man? First, Paul shared the wonderful gospel and all three were save. Then Paul took the young boy under his wing encouraging him. Paul then brought his ‘son in the faith’ along with him on a missionary journey. Timothy would ultimately become the pastor of the church at Ephesus. He would do the work of an evangelist. He would have two books of the New Testament bear his name. The contents of those two letters would be the foundation for the way a church is to operate and the qualifications that Christ expects from his servants. I have no doubt these ladies continued to serve the Lord throughout their lives. They could take a certain amount of pride in what Timothy had become. It was first the Lord but without them we might not know about the boy.

Mothers, you are extremely important. Even in tough situations you are needed to direct those kids. G. Campbell Morgan is a very well-known preacher to ministers. I have many of his books and commentaries. He and his wife had four sons. They were raised on a steady diet of the word of God. All four became preachers. One day, all the Morgan men were sitting together. A newspaper man, knowing who they were, walked up to the group and asked this question: “Who is the great preacher in the family?” One of the sons smiled saying, “Why we all know that answer, it’s Mother.”