What if Lois Wasn’t Agreeable?

“I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:3-7

The meaning for the name Lois is “Agreeable or Desirable”. While there are many grandmothers mentioned in the Bible, the word “Grandmother” is only used once – and that is in reference to Lois. She is the mother of Eunice, and the Grandmother of Timothy.

It appears that Lois was just as her name implied: Agreeable. However, we have all known people who are not agreeable—people who are miserable, argumentative, and rude. We have no idea why people turn out to be that way, but miserable people are hard to be around. So, what if Lois wasn’t agreeable, but was just miserable? What if Lois did not have the personality or the temperament to pass along a sincere faith – or chose not to instruct her family in the faith?

It is evident, as those of us in the church know, that faith is something that often is handed down, from generation to generation. It is never a guarantee that our children or grandchildren will stay in the faith, but they are more likely to remain involved in a church family if the faith is handed down. Paul compliments Lois for being the Genesis of a faith that lives in her daughter, and now lives in her grandson Timothy. So, why does it matter that Timothy remained in the faith? Timothy was a young man when he first met Paul. Timothy may have seen Paul heal a lame man in his town, and he may also have watched as an angry mob threw stones at Paul and left him for dead as recorded in Acts 14:8ff. Paul survived, and when he came back to Lystra a couple of years later on his second journey, Paul invited Timothy to travel with him. Timothy helped Paul to establish churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea (Acts 16 and 17). When Paul was imprisoned in Rome for two years, Timothy was right alongside him much of the time unselfishly taking care of Paul’s needs. Paul thought of Timothy not only as a very faithful friend but also as his spiritual son.

When we pass along the faith to our children and grandchildren, we never know what impact that faith may have on our family, and on the church.

Pastor Dave