The Godly Role of a Mother and Grandmother

“I have been 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)

If Timothy’s grandmother Lois had not been faithful in passing on her faith to her daughter Eunice and her grandson Timothy we probably would not have First and Second Timothy in the Bible today. This is a good generational example of the importance of passing on the faith to future generations. Lois is our forerunner who modeled grandmothering for us.

Isn’t it interesting that nowhere in the Bible does it say that the church has the primary responsibility to pass on our faith to the next generation? It makes clear that parents and grandparents are the principal conduit to instruct their children about God and His love for them.

Mother and Grandmother’s role

Many grandparents are greatly concerned that their children are not passing on the values and faith by which they were raised. Parents and grandparents have a crucial role to fill, if faith is to be found on earth when Jesus comes back for His own. According to God’s word, God wants parents and grandparents to focus on passing on a godly legacy to the next generations. The demonstrations of our faithful walk with the Lord and our prayers for our children are powerful ways to pass on our faith to the next generation.

The role of godly mothers and grandmothers is to communicate their faith in Jesus Christ and pray diligently for their children. We are also to tell future generations how God has walked with us and demonstrated His mighty works in our lives. God is waiting for us to ask Him for opportunities of how to be a godly influence for our children. He has given us the responsibility to set a positive example. We do affect our children and grandchildren one way or another, in a positive or negative fashion.

In Proverbs 27:19, we read, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” (NLT) What does the reflection of our “real person” look like? When we are committed to read and meditate on God’s word, we will reflect a life transformed into His image. As we invest in our own walk with the Lord, we are spiritually investing in the lives of our grandchildren by modeling a godly example. As spiritual role models, we can demonstrate the reality of our faith by walking with God through both the storms and sunny days of our lives.

The greatest gift

We love to give gifts to our children. The greatest and most lasting gift we can give them is to be their prayer intercessor, affecting and imprinting their generation with God’s faithfulness. The material things we leave our children are temporary; however, our prayers and examples can make a significant impact on them for a lifetime. Our greatest blessings will come when we see God answering our prayers in their lives. We may die before we see the answers to our prayers, they will not be cancelled when we go to heaven. They will outlive us.

With the pressure on families today, our children need our hugs, reassurance, and wisdom more than ever. It is also imperative for us to communicate to our children and grandchildren that we love them and accept them, even though we may not accept their behavior. In today’s broken world, Satan’s purpose is to destroy the family. It is important that we, as grandmothers, pray God will give the mothers and fathers of our dear children godly wisdom in the monumental task of teaching and guiding our grandchildren in the ways of the Lord. 

Do your children and grandchildren see an authenticity and sincerity about you in your relationship with God? What a blessing it would be for me to hear my children and grandchildren say, “I want to have a relationship with the Lord like my mother and grandmother modeled for me.” I hope I can say in the years to come, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children and grandchildren are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4)

Ask yourself:

•     What kind of memories will my children and grandchildren have of me?
•     Do I want my children and grandchildren to imitate my spiritual life?
•     Will they want my Jesus?

Dear Lord, forgive me when I have not taken the time to be in your word or modeled the life of a godly mother or grandmother. Help me to take the time to read and meditate on your word every day so I will reflect your face in the heart of my children and grandchildren. Help me to be a godly example, teaching them to live lives

 of truth with integrity, authenticity, and seriousness.  Help me to give sound, wise, wholesome counsel and guidance, encouraging my them to know and follow Christ wholeheartedly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Take the next step:

7 Ways to pray for your grandkids today
 Buy: The Adventures of Jesus for Children

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