Magyar Egyház, 1975 (54. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1975-05-01 / 5. szám
8 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ You can almost hear them repeating some of them, such as “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). Or “She that bare thee shall rejoice” (Prov. 23:25). Another might have been, “I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths” (Prov. 4:11). Eunice and Lois had sent forth their son Timothy, a man of eminent unselfishness, one who had the capacity for generous devotion, one who was warmhearted and loyal, one with charm and gentleness, one who had tenderness and patience, and one who was willing to sacrifice himself without reservation to the cause of Christ. These were qualities such as only a consecrated mother and grandmother could bestow upon a son. And Paul knew better than any other that the religious faith of Lois and Eunice had been handed down to Timothy in overflowing measure. Paul best expresses this when he says, “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” (II Tim. 3:15). What more lasting memorial could a great apostle bestow indirectly upon a mother and grandmother. Also Paul wrote to Timothy, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (II Tim. 3:14). These inspiring words have instilled in Christians everywhere a desire to delve more deeply into the character of Eunice and Lois. In Paul’s epistles to Timothy there are passages which seem to list the qualities of Timothy himself, for example, “But thou, 0 man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (I Tim. 6:11). These seemed to be the qualities trained in him by his mother and grandmother. They had taught him not only these things but also a right sense of values, and he could understand with Paul, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (I Tim. 6:10). These words of Paul seem to flow like a clear spring of water as he reminded Timothy of his charge. Paul’s words fell on an understanding heart, for at a young age Timothy had been grounded in upright living by his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois. ☆ ☆ SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE All across our land marriages are being split asunder at the alarming rate of one in four. Many others maintain respectable outward appearances but inwardly are empty shells. Tragically, very few husbands and wives attain that rare and beautiful union which radiates love, joy, and deep inner happiness. Here are the secrets of the successful marriage. I First, you must always keep alive the tender art of romance! That much-married “authority” on matrimony, Zsa Zsa Gabor, observed that “Marriage does something to a love affair, takes something out of it.” If this is happening to your marriage, you must revive your married romance. God desires a love affair to deepen and to grow inside the Holy Estate of Matrimony. One reason a love affair so often does not deepen and grow is that husband and wife cease to court each other after they are married, when courtship is in fact of even greater importance. In the words of Ralph W. Sockman, “we cease, in married life, to pay attentions and we cease to pay attention, and thus we become estranged within our own households.” Too many husbands, after they have taken the girl of their dreams to the altar, cease treating her as one sweetly desired. Too many wives, after they have landed their “dream boat,” cease aluring him with their womanly magic. It may sound strange to hear a preacher say it, but, for altogether Christian reasons, I plead with you husbands and wives alike to keep alive the tender art of romance. II Second, you must rebuild the sagging bridge of communication! The solutions to most of the world’s problems are sabotaged at this point. Only rarely do men talk with candor and goodwill and then afterward have the graciousness and courtesy to listen to what others are saying so that they may understand how they feel. We can’t do much about this on the international scene, but we should be able to communicate with our own husbands and wives in our own homes. We ought to be able to talk candidly and listen sensitively, but many married people do not. Communication is frequently like a sagging bridge even among those who in the presence of God once said “I will—until death do us part.” As couples we have all kinds of things to talk about with each other, don’t we? Work, home, children, plans, hopes, dreams—any of these and all of these are rich sources of open conversation. We must
