“I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless” (Psalm 101:2-3).
Patterns are a part of life. Symmetry, in nature and art, is part of what gives a thing beauty. I remember the symmetry in my grandmother’s quilts as she stitched a hodgepodge of material, which, because of the pattern she used, created a beautiful menagerie of color. Our own lives, too, follow some predictable patterns. The dependability of night and day, and other aspects of daily life, can be relied on in their regularity, bringing a sense of stability to us.
In 2nd Timothy, the Apostle Paul talks about following a particular pattern – a pattern of faith, of “sound words” that Timothy has heard from Paul. He reminds Timothy of the faith which was first in Timothy’s grandmother Lois, and then in his mother, Eunice. There had been a pattern of faith and faithfulness in the household which had now been passed to Timothy. He urges Timothy to “fan into flame” the gift that is in him, and also to “guard the good deposit entrusted to him.”
In other words, follow the pattern of faith and practice given to you by those who have gone before. There are precepts- patterns- we can follow which will lead to our flourishing. There are biblical principles that always lead to peace and joy (Romans 15:13).
When I think about my grandmother, I think about the patterns of life and faith she passed down. The practice of being able to be relied on and putting the needs of her family above herself. She was steadfast, dependable, and not fearful in the face of challenges. “…for God gave us not a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:7). I often observed her reading the well-worn pages of her Bible, its truths no doubt reading her as she read them, leading her well, so she could in turn guide her family in “the way,” the pattern, which her own mother and father had shown her.
As I stitch and sew the patterns of my own life, I am reminded of the faith which dwelt in her, in my own mother, and the lives of many other family members, and I am thankful.
If you have been entrusted with a similar “good deposit” in your life, follow the pattern well.
Life By The Way 