Family Matters

There is no greater gift you can give your family members than leaving them a legacy of faith. In his second letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul reminds his young protégé that the "unfeigned faith" which he possessed resided first in his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). They had passed on to him a legacy of faith. It's impossible to give away something you don't originally possess. As personal as salvation is, there is a sense in which we receive it as a gift along from God to us by others. Paul was reminding Timothy of his spiritual "roots>"

A Point of Beginning

"There was a beginning point for your faith," Paul reminded Timothy. "It dwelt first in your grandmother." With those words we are reminded that every legacy of faith has its point of beginning. Occasionally when telling our family's story, I am confronted by some who says, "But I didn't receive a wonderful heritage of faith." That simply means that you have the privilege of being the first in line, the beginning point, for generations to come. What an awesome privilege! Have you thanked God for that honor? Are you passing along the faith God has given you?

It's Under Your Watch

Timothy's grandmother made certain that he torch of her faith was passed to her daughter who then passed it to her own son. That is not always the case. On more occasion I have talked with parents whose own children "came to church faithfully" but have now "strayed from the faith." Admittedly, we cannot discount the power of personal choice. After all, remember the prodigal son. Neither can we "pass the buck" when it comes to nurturing a growing sense of spiritual heritage. Churches don't raise children ... parents do! How is your family's legacy of faith fairing "under your watch?" It is developing, or disappearing?

Incredible Impact!

Timothy was the recipient of at least two letters penned by the apostle, Paul. Those two letters, inspired by the Holy Spirit, are some of the most significant letters in the New Testament. While we know little of Lois or Eunice, we know a great deal about Timothy. You cannot help but wonder if his mother and grandmother ever imagined that, one day, Paul would place his ministerial mantle upon Timothy. That's the incredible impact inherent in a legacy of faith.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is this: Whatever you do, leave a legacy of faith and faithfulness!
 

'Til Death Do Us Part
By Rebecca Grace - AFA Journal Staff Writer

From childhood neighbors to high school sweethearts, a trip down the aisle was the next natural step for Buddy Smith, AFA’s executive assistant to the president, and his love, Carol.

"I was in ninth grade, and she was in seventh grade when I first expressed an interest in her," Buddy recalled. "Her mother put a stop to that, and I couldn’t get past a phone call."

But as the youngsters matured, a relationship of love began to develop that led them to marriage at the ages of 21 and 19.

"We believe that marriage was God’s idea and that He brought us together as husband and wife," Buddy explained. "The foundation of our marriage has always been the acknowledgment that it is made up of three people — the two of us and God as the central figure."

"We like to picture Christian marriage as a triangle — a man and woman at the base with Jesus Christ as the apex," Carol added.

Therefore, a Christ-centered home is the couple’s master key to a fulfilling marriage.

"[But] other vital keys on the ring of a lasting marriage include unconditional love, mutual trust, honesty, respect, care, communication, sexual faithfulness and purity, friendship, reconciliation and growth," Buddy said, all in view of commitment.

"We think it’s very important to talk about commitment in the marriage relationship in light of the nebulous meanings of ‘love’ in today’s culture. … For many couples today, love is treated as a feeling that comes and goes and is void of any commitment," Buddy explained.

"But marriage is not whatever society chooses to make of it," he added. "A Christian marriage is a total commitment of two people to the person of Jesus Christ and to one another."

"We understood on our wedding day that our commitment was only a gesture of beginning the lifelong process of handing over everything to Jesus Christ and one another," Carol explained.

Advice: Anchor yourselves in a Bible-believing church that offers ongoing ministry opportunities designed to strengthen existing marriages.
 

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