Have you heard about Nike, the “Just Do It” company? Have you heard about Eunice, the “just Do it” mother? The name Eunice is Greek in origin and it means good victory. Interestingly, the word Eunice is derived from Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.
Napolean Bonaparte is purported to have said, “Let France have good mothers, and she will have good sons”, which is often paraphrased as “If you give me a good mother, I will give you a good nation.” I think that if he had met the Biblical Eunice and her mother Lois, he would have probably said, “Let France have good mothers like Eunice and Lois, and she will have good sons.”
Eunice, the mother of Timothy is commended by Apostle Paul along with her mother Lois, for having raised Timothy with the same kind of unfeigned faith as was in them (2 Timothy 1:5). Eunice was a Jewess, but she was married to a Greek man (Acts 16:1). The Bible says that she was a believer in Christ Jesus (Acts 16:1), but makes no mention of whether her husband was a believer or not. How did Eunice pass on her sincere faith to her son and what was the outcome? We get the answer to this question from two portions of the Bible. The first can be derived from what Paul tells of Timothy, that he needs to continue in the knowledge he had learned from his childhood days (most probably from his mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois). What was it that Timothy had learned? Timothy had learned the holy scriptures that made one wise in the salvation of the Lord through faith (2 Timothy 3:14-15). The outcome of this upbringing was that, everyone in the two (not one) cities, Lystra and Iconium, had a good report of Timothy and spoke well of him (Acts 16:2), so much so that Apostle Paul desired that Timothy went with him on his missionary trip.
What can we learn from Eunice?
Eunice followed the instructions given in the holy Scripture that one must teach their children to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul and mind (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). We must do likewise as well. Secondly, despite that fact that Eunice was unequally yoked in her marriage with a Greek, she nonetheless followed her instruction as per the law, but more importantly, she followed the instruction as per her Lord, being a believer, to teach her son that if he was yoked with Jesus Christ, his yoke would be easy and his burden would be light (Matthew 11:30). The evidence of Timothy being yoked with Jesus Christ is seen in testimony that the people in the cities speak of him, so much so that Apostle Paul, who was yoked with Jesus Christ, wishes to be yoked with Timothy for the cause of Christ in his missionary journey.
If we want our children to be spoken well off in the cities and if we want them to be sought out for God’s missions, then we must be like Eunice, teaching them the Salvation of the Lord that comes through faith, by teaching them the holy Scripture, right from their childhood days. We must teach them to be yoked with Jesus Christ (as any good mother would teach her children to do). Eunice had good victory in raising a godly son and if she was here to give us counsel, she would tell us to do the same and advice us to “just do it”.
2 Timothy 1:5 (KJV)
5 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 Timothy 3:14-15 (KJV)
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Acts 16:1-3 (KJV)
1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (KJV)
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
