Lois, Eunice, and The Meaning of Life

Viktor Frankl, the famed Austrian psychiatrist and Nazi concentration camp survivor, in his book, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” writes, “One should not search for an abstract meaning of life. Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment.”

In the Apostle Paul’s final letter to Timothy he writes, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:5–7). We love to quote that last bit, but sometimes I wonder if we pass over Lois and Eunice too much? We love the power of Paul. We love his words. He is one of the great heroes of our faith. And rightly so. But we ought not forget about Lois and Eunice.

God works through generations. In our day and age of quick dopamine hits from funny Instagram or TikTok videos and our admiration of the good looking, well-spoken, men and women we look up to, it can be easy to forget about the importance of the day to day faithfulness that no one sees, and perhaps maybe won’t ever even know about. But oh, what a difference it makes.

I think a lot of people in ministry, whether they admit it or not, like to think of themselves as if they were a modern day Paul or some other hero of the faith. But maybe God has called you to be a Lois or a Eunice. Don’t miss the quiet mission in pursuit of being or doing something you’re not called to be or do. Perhaps God has called you to sow seeds in the lives of people that will not be seen until future generations. Are you willing to sow in a field where someone else will reap the harvest?

Where would Timothy have been without Lois and Eunice? Who’s your Lois? Who’s your Eunice? Who’s your Timothy?

Thank God for Lois and Eunice. I imagine we will meet many a Lois and Eunice in heaven who sowed seeds of faithfulness, the fruit of which, they couldn’t even imagine. God bless the praying grandmothers and the faithful mothers.