The only woman in the Bible referred to as a “grandmother” is Timothy’s grandmother, Lois. She and her daughter Eunice received accolades from the Apostle Paul on their rearing of his protégé and future pastor, young Timothy: “I [Paul] 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 NIV).
He later adds: “And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15 NIV).
As a grandmother of 11 grandchildren who all know about Jesus (and some know Jesus as their Savior), here’s what I’ve learned from Lois:
- Pray for, mentor, and nurture the faith of your adult children—the parents of your grandchildren.
- Give with a purpose. Choose gifts that introduce grandchildren to Jesus at an early age. Shop at Christian bookstores or online to find age-appropriate games, books, DVDs, CDs, and toys.
- Look for opportunities to talk to grandchildren about Jesus and His love for them.
- Be a role model that family members admire and respect.
- Assume an active role in your grandchildren’s lives, even if you live far apart. Stay current and don’t criticize the things that interest them. Learn their communication style and method—email, texting, Skype or FaceTime, cell phone, social networking, etc. Remain relatable and relational with each generation.
Lois and Eunice were intentional in raising Timothy in the faith. The world didn’t set standards for their home, God did. They knew God’s Word and taught it to Timothy. I’ve found songs are one effective means to help children (and their parents) learn Scripture. Most kids love to sing along to CDs in the car and soon Mommy and Daddy are learning the words too.
Parents are often so busy raising their children that they rely on the church to educate the kids spiritually. We grandparents are usually at a stage of life where we can help parents nurture faith in the home. If relationships are strained with adult children or you don’t live close, you can still pray for them and/or keep in touch in different ways.
My prayer is that my legacy to my grandchildren will be: Grammie taught us about the Bible and Jesus, and she lived what she believed.
What spiritual legacy are you leaving for your family?
Janet Thompson, founder and director of About His Work Ministries, is an author and speaker on topics relevant to today’s Christian. She recently authored Face-to-Face with Lois and Eunice: Nurturing Faith in Your Family, among other Face-to Face Bible studies for New Hope Publishers. Janet discovered her purpose when God called her to “Feed My sheep.” Janet answered that call by developing the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. Janet served as a lay minister for 12 years in this ministry. She and her husband, Dave, have 4 married children and love being Grammie and Grampa to 11 amazing grandchildren. They make their home in rural Idaho.
Visit Janet at www.womantowomanmentoring.com
“This article first appeared online at NewHopeDigital.com. Please visit for more articles, podcasts, videos, and other content from New Hope Publishers authors.”
Read more encouraging stories from brave-hearted women here. Be sure to grab your free copy of inspirational quotes and writing prompts while you’re there. (Look over on the right hand side!)
I am blessed to have had the opportunity to build into both of my granddaughters’ lives from a young age. I cared for my oldest granddaughter for the first three and a half years of her life, nurturing, singing, teaching, and modeling Christ’s love to her the best I could. I was 36 when I became a grandma, so I was still raising my own children at the same time–which made things interesting and (most of the time) fun.
I now have the blessing of caring for our youngest granddaughter several times a week. With 10 years between the two grands, the dynamics of our family have changed a good bit since the first round of grandmothering for me, but one that hasn’t changed is my delight over the blessing of being the grandmother I never got to have. I am determined that my grandchildren know that Jesus loves them madly, and so does their Mimi.
Thanks, Janet, for such a timely message for grandmothers.
By age 22, my daughter had 4 children that were age 4 and under. I helped them physically, emotionally, mentally, and esp. financially. I nurtured them spiritually telling them of God’s love for them. I got them DVDs and CDs of kids praise and worship music. Now they are 16, 15, almost 13, and 12 and the disrespect and criticism they have toward me really hurts. Their mom ( raised in a christian home) and dad never married , and the dad never was there. Their mom has fallen away from God and carries a lot of anger and bitterness in her heart. I pray that God draws her and her kids to Himself. I struggle with feelings of hurt and failure ( my very messy house) whenever I tell them to do chores for their mom. They tell me to go home and clean my own house.
Janet, thank you so much for this wonderful advice! My daughter is expecting our first grandchild in September and I can hardly wait! These are the principles we lived by when our children were growing up, and they are just as important for our grandchildren. We have two new step-grandsons who have been living in a very unstable situation, and we are embracing our role in their lives, too.