As we dive in together and discover the importance of Timothy in the pages of the Bible, I am especially inspired by his life for personal reasons. Timothy is the very first of the second generation Christians that is mentioned in the bible. He is taking what he learned in his home about who Jesus is and is carrying on that legacy of faith with a deep sense of purpose and devotion.
My children are second generation Christians. What exactly does this mean? Well, being a second generation Christian means that your faith was learned in your home or via a relative and you then have the privilege of passing that faith along to future generations. A family legacy of faith has to begin somewhere. In my home, it began when my husband and I accepted Jesus’s calling to live a life of faith rooted in Him. We learned about God from close friends who had a solid foundation of faith. We also joined small groups for fellowship, discipleship and practical application of faith in our day to day lives. As our girls grew, we shared what we knew and we grew in our faith as a family. As a result, our girls are now second generation Christians just like Timothy.
As we learn more about what Timothy did with his faith, we can begin to see the beauty in having the vision for not only second generation Christians to share the gospel with others, but also third, fourth and so on generational Christians to share their faith. Can you imagine? We are some eighty generations removed from Timothy. Using the principle of compound interest, if Timothy led only twenty-five people to Christ and each new Christian did the same, over these two thousand years more than 56 million new followers would have found Christ through Timothy alone!
Take a moment and be reminded that your faith may be the starting point for future generations! Spend a few moments with God and thank Him for where you are in your journey of faith. Ask Him to allow future generations of believers in your family to learn of His love!
