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 1:5 NIV)

A beaver and a chipmunk went out for a leisurely stroll one sunny afternoon. As they rounded a bend in the path, they suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. Before them was the Hoover Dam, towering hundreds of feet above the river.

For a long moment, neither said a word. The two small creatures stood in complete silence, dwarfed by the sheer size and brilliance of what they saw.   

Finally, the chipmunk turned to the beaver, wide-eyed. “Wow,” he whispered, “have you ever seen anything like this? It’s unbelievable!”

The beaver cleared his throat and said, “Well… actually, I didn’t build it myself, but it’s based on an idea of mine.”

The truth is, most great accomplishments are built on foundations laid by others.  Science advances that way.  Every generation builds upon the discoveries of the past. And so it is with faith.

The faith we have today likely rests upon lessons taught by our parents or others who shaped our spiritual foundations.  In turn, we have the privilege (and the responsibility) to pass those truths along to others so they can build something even greater.

Paul recognized this when he wrote to Timothy, “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 1:5 NIV)

I wonder if Lois and Eunice ever imagined what that little boy would one day do for the kingdom of God?  They may not have preached or planted churches like Timothy did, but their faith — planted deep in his heart — was the foundation God used to change countless lives.

You may not feel like you’re accomplishing much for the Lord. You may think your work is small or unseen. But if you’re sowing seeds of faith — teaching your children, encouraging a friend, serving quietly — you are building something eternal.

And one day, someone you’ve influenced might do great things for God and say, “It’s based on an idea of theirs.”

Prayer: Father, thank you for those who built foundations of faith in our lives. Help us to pass that faith along to others. May the work we do today become the groundwork for your greater purposes tomorrow.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day