You Walk in the Truth
1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. 4 I have no greater joy than [a]this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and [b]especially when they are strangers; 6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to [c]support such men, so that we may [d]be fellow workers [e]with the truth.
When I saw verse 4, those spoke loud and clear to me because of what it says about how John felt about the believers to whom he was writing. He calls them "my children". He loved them. He wanted to be with them again in Heaven one day. He wanted the absolute best for them, just as parents do for their children. I don't know about any of the rest of you who are parents, but I know that what is best for my children isn't to "be happy" all the time, to have all the things I never had, etc. I want them to learn to make good decisions and choose right over wrong, which means they have to question and search and learn, not just take everything at face value. What is best for my children is to learn to overcome problems and circumstances because everybody has obstacles all the time, as will they. And the very best that I could wish for them is that they would learn to overcome those problems and circumstances and learn and question and search from a basis of knowing God and studying the Bible.
If my kids grow up to be doctors or lawyers and make big bucks, that's great. If they marry wonderful people and have beautiful children, that's great too. If they travel the world and see beautiful places and get to do all kinds of things that I haven't been able to, that's also great. But my greatest hope and prayer is that they will walk with God, even if it means having a minimum wage job, never marrying or having children, and never travelling further than you can drive in a day.
Above all else, we must seek out and know the truth. Otherwise we can't teach it to our children or share it with anyone else. As Tammy said yesterday -
We are to know the truth - study the Word!
We are to live in the truth - obey the Word!
The truth is precious.
The gospel is precious.
And let's teach this to our children (or our Sunday School class, or students, or daycare kids) because it is one of the most important things they will every learn in their entire lives.
Happy Thursday!
Tomorrow's scripture focus: 3 John 1:9-14.
1 comment:
Amen!
That they walk in the truth is my greatest joy, that they don't is my greatest fear!
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