May 1932
K I n g ’ s
202
B u s i n e s s
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others are trying to advance their own interests, not the cause of Jesus the Messiah. But you know his sterling worth: you know that, as the service of a son to a father, so has his service been in helping me to spread the Glad- tidings” (Arthur S. Way’s translation). From Paul’s second letter to him, we learn something of the mother’s influence in the life of this young man: “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also” (2 Tim. 1 :5). Later in the epistle, we find that Timothy had been early taught in the Scriptures— “ From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures” (3 :15 ). Here, then, is one whose mother had a living faith, and that faith showed itself in her life and in teaching her boy the Word of God. Fortunate boy ! A S t r ik in g C o n t r a s t It is interesting to note also the influence of Timothy’s grandmother upon his mother, and to contrast this with the case of Ahaziah. Grandmother Mother Son Jezebel Wicked Athaliah Wicked Ahaziah Wicked Lois Woman o f faith Eunice Woman o f faith Timothy We do not imply that faith is hereditary. But we are pleading with mothers to teach their children the Word of God, and to so exemplify the life of faith and devotion to our Lord before their children that they will see some thing of the reality and blessedness of the Christian life and be inclined to “walk in the ways” of their mother, not to their destruction, but to their eternal bliss. "IT h a v e read of two young college students of bygone days attending a lecture by the noted infidel, Robert G. Ingersoll. At the close, one of the young men said to the other, “ Well, Jim, didn’t old Bob wipe Christianity off the face of the earth tonight?” Jim replied, “ I don’t know, I’m inclined to think my good old Christian mother is still left, and I would hot give her, with her sweet Christian life and example, for all the Bob Ingersolls that could be crowded on earth.” A M o t h e r ’ s P r a y e r s A n s w e r e d Only this very day on which this article is being writ ten, I had from the lips of one of our fine young women students here at the Bible Institute a fine testimony to a mother’s influence. She told me of the way in which God had been leading her to take up work as a missionary in Africa. When only a child, she had a desire to become a missionary, and her heart was set on going to China. Dur ing her student days here last year, God began to speak to her about going to Africa. At first, she resisted and tried to put off the thought of going to that land. But the call be came so clear and persistent that she finally said “ yes” to her Lord. A few weeks later, she told her mother of her decision; then, to her surprise and delight, she learned that before she was born, her mother had dedicated her to be come a missionary to the Dark Continent. As a young woman, her mother had cherished the wish to go to that country herself to proclaim the glad tidings, but was pre vented. Yet her prayers are evidently being answered in the sending of her child. Happy mother, and happy child, because both are devoted to the will of G od ! A man o f faith and de voted to the service of Jesus Christ
M y mother , M ary A nn W hite , who , from the pulpit of her WHEEL CHAIR AND WITH HER BLIND EYES, TAUGHT ME HOW TO MAKE A PULPIT OUT OF EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE AND TO REST QUIETLY IN GOD THROUGH THE MOST TRYING CONDITIONS.— THE EDITOR. Let no mother think it is necessary to be a monster of wickedness in order to lead her children astray. Jezebel’s root sin was idolatry —letting some one or something oc cupy the place which God alone should have. There are multitudes of mothers in the world today who cannot be classed with Jezebel as regards outward cruelty and wick edness, but who are, nevertheless, just as effectively lead ing their children away from God, because He is not hav ing His rightful place in their hearts and lives. Some one or something else has that place, and they are therefore idolators. There are gods many—wealth, dress, society, pleasure, etc. And there are multitudes of children today who are far from God because of the influence of their virtually idolatrous mothers. We plead with mothers to open their hearts to Jesus Christ, to receive Him as Sav iour from sin, and to crown Him as Lord of their lives, and thus to so influence their children that they will rise up and call them blessed both now and through eternity. A M o t h e r o f F a i t h !|£» y w a y o f refreshing contrast, let us now turn to an other character in Scripture, one whose life was, and still is, a channel of blessing. We refer to the devoted and helpful companion of the great Apostle Paul, Timothy, to whose devotion Paul bears testimony in these words; “ Still I do hope—-I rest that hope on our Lord Jesus—to send Timotheus very soon to you. I, too, want to be cheered by getting news of you. I send him, for I have no one else who is heart and soul with me, no one who is sure to devote himself unselfishly to your interests. All the
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