The Faith Transfer

The Faith Transfer
By John C. Richards, Jr.
This week's topic: Mothers


Some women of faith in the Bible are often overlooked. We know about Sarah, Abraham's wife. We're fully aware of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The story of Ruth is celebrated as a story of hope and redemption. These women have no problem garnering recognition in Christendom. What about the ones who don't get as much recognition? What about the women whose stories are just as compelling? What about the family matriarch who holds the family together in tough times? What about the single mother who raises a child alone?


There is a nugget in one of the Apostle Paul's epistles that recognizes these women. The (scripture of the day) comes from a letter from Paul to his pupil Timothy. Timothy was a young man who had entered ministry. He was one of Paul's mentees. The purpose of Paul's letter was to give him specific instructions for his ministry. However, he begins this letter in a peculiar manner. Paul begins by thanking God for the source of Timothy's faith. Where did this faith come from? A five point sermon? Paul himself? What about a gospel tract? Nope. The source of his faith came from his dear mother and grandmother. Timothy was a person who loved and served the Lord. As I read this, I imagined Paul speaking to me personally. I felt like I could substitute my name (and the name of my mother and grandmother) in this verse.

Timothy found himself to be a product of generational faith transfer. The faith that was first found in his grandmother and his mother was now solidly evident in Timothy himself. I found myself in this very situation some time ago. The first time I saw any sign of discouragement from my mother was when she experienced a house fire about four years ago. On this occasion, I realized the importance of the faith transfer. I was able to impart the same faith into my mother that she had imparted into me when I was a youth. I had a very encouraging conversation with her about God's purpose in trials. At the end of that conversation we were both able to proclaim that He would give her "beauty for her ashes" (Isaiah 61:3).

That is the very nature of faith transfer. There comes a point in time when the transferee (the one who receives) becomes the transferor (the one who imparts/reminds). Like my mom during this trial, sometimes we have everything we need on the inside. We just need reminders every now and again. In fact, the word "remember" etymologically means just that: to re-member or to put back together. I was able to help her put some stuff back together during a trying period in her life. Lord knows that she had done the same thing for me countless times over.

"The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him" (Proverbs 31:1)

King Lemuel knew exactly what I'm talking about. Lemuel remembered the "utterance(s)" his mother taught him. There was so much wisdom contained in these utterances that they became a part of the book of Wisdom (i.e. Proverbs). In fact, the above verse served as the opening verse of the virtuous woman passage in Proverbs we have come to know and love. King Lemuel was merely writing about the woman he had seen exemplify these characteristics throughout his life--his mother. I now look back on all the lessons my mother taught me and can reflect on times when she told me I wouldn't understand what she was saying until I got older. She was right. I used to complain about her advice as a child. I didn't quite understand it. But now, being a fully mature adult, I see the life lessons that she taught in those moments. The words of Paul ring true: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, understood as a child and thought as a child, but when I became a man I put away the childish things" (1 Corinthians 13:11).

Take time out today to honor your mother, grandmother, or any other mother figure in your life. Remember the life she lived. Thank God for placing her in your life. Give her a call and tell her how much you appreciate the things she has done for you. Most of all, be grateful for the faith she has transferred generationally to you. Her story might not have made it into the canon of scripture, but it has been canonized in your heart.

Continue to be a walking epistle filled with the lessons she has taught you and you will be a walking reminder of her lasting impact. Such is the nature of a mother's faith transfer.

Scripture Of The Day: "I thank God…when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also" - 2 Timothy 1:3a, 5 (NKJV)


John C. Richards, Jr., Esq. is a husband, writer, attorney, and student. While an attorney, he is involved in local ministry in the urban Los Angeles area and remains passionate about juvenile justice. He is concluding his final year at Fuller Theological Seminary, and is currently on staff at Hope Community Church in Pasadena, CA. http://www.brotherpreacher.com…