Pass on Precious faith 传承珍贵信仰

[Dexu Xia]

Pass on Precious faith 

I am 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 .

      A friend said: "I like sewing!" She was brought up in her grandmother house since she was a little child, and her grandmother who loved her dearly often sews clothes for her. She recalled that whenever she heard the creak of the sewing machine, she would excitedly guess what new clothes her grandmother was making for her. Now, this friend has grown up and got married. Not only does she know how to sew herself, but she also plans to pass on this craft to her daughter. Although the child is only five years old, she still takes the child to the fabric shop, hoping to inspire her daughter's interest.

    Passing on crafts, businesses, or beliefs to the next generation is common in some cultures. People will pass on what they have learned from their parents to their children. In Paul's letter to Timothy, he specifically mentioned Timothy's maternal grandmother Luo Yi and his mother Eunice's true faith. They probably taught Timothy the truths of the Bible when he was young, and made him later determined to accept Jesus as the Savior of his personal life (2 Timothy 3:15).

      So, how do we pass on our faith to the next generation? With the encouragement of God's love and the power of the Holy Spirit (1:7), we can share the gospel of Jesus with others in the words and deeds that Christians should do (2:2). In addition to imparting superb skills, we should also pass on precious beliefs. What Bible truths have you learned recently that you can share with the next generation? Which of your lifestyles can reflect your Christian faith?

      Oh, God! Please help me know how to use words and actions and every bit of daily life, to pass on the Christian faith to the next generation.

 传承珍贵信仰

 想到你心里无伪之信，这信是先在你外祖母罗以和你母亲友妮基心里的，我深信也在你的心里。—提摩太后书1章5节

有位朋友说：“我喜欢缝纫！”她自小就在祖母的身边长大，疼爱她的祖母经常为她缝制衣裳。她回忆说，每当听到缝纫机发出嘎吱的响声时，她就会兴奋地猜想祖母正为她制作什么新衣。现在，这位朋友已经长大结婚了，她不但自己会缝纫，而且打算要将这门手艺传给她的女儿。尽管孩子只有五岁，她还是带着孩子去逛布料行，希望能激发女儿的兴趣。

传承手艺、生意或信仰给下一代，是在一些文化中很普遍的事。人们会把从父母那里学到的东西，再传给自己的孩子。保罗在写给提摩太的信中，就特别提到提摩太的外祖母罗以，以及他母亲友妮基真实无伪的信仰。她们很可能在提摩太年幼时，就教导他圣经的真理，使他后来决志接受耶稣成为个人生命的救主（提摩太后书3章15节）。

那么，我们该如何把信仰传承给下一代呢？藉着上帝爱的激励，加上圣灵所赐的能力（1章7节），我们能以基督徒应有的言行举止，与人分享耶稣的福音（2章2节）。除了传授精湛的技艺之外，我们更应该将宝贵的信仰传承下去。

你最近学习到哪些圣经真理，可以与下一代分享？
你的哪些生活方式能反映出你的基督信仰？

上帝啊！求祢帮助我，知道如何透过言语、行为，
以及每日生活的点点滴滴，将基督信仰传承给下一代。