“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4
I find this verse encouraging and quite thought-provoking. We read in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Here, we read there is no greater joy than hearing that one’s children are walking in the truth. Thinking about this, it can be seen to apply for both one’s physical children and also one’s spiritual children. (In fact, John is referring to spiritual children here.) By ‘spiritual children’, those whom we have led to Christ and discipled. I’ve been privileged to have taught at a kids’ programme a few years ago, and it’s always a great encouragement to see them (who are now in their early 20’s) going on with the Lord. However, there are some whom I know have not continued in faith, and it breaks my heart. I don’t have physical children of my own, but I imagine it would be much the same.
How much more, then, with God! – for we are His creation, and if we have come to believe in Him, we are His children (John 1:12). Did you realise that you can bring God joy? If we continue to walk in the truth, we bring Him joy. Similarly, if we disobey Him, we bring Him pain. This shows that God really does love us – you can’t hurt someone who doesn’t love you. So the encouragement to you today is this: keep walking in the truth.
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