3 John 1-4 is a beautiful passage of Scripture that expresses the joy of a parent or grandparent who sees their children or grandchildren walking in the truth. In this blog post, I want to share with you some insights and reflections on this verse and how it can inspire us to pray for our loved ones and encourage them in their faith journey.
The apostle John wrote this letter to his friend Gaius, whom he calls his dear child in the faith. John had heard from some other believers that Gaius was living faithfully and obediently to God’s commands, and he was overjoyed by this news. He says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4).
This verse reveals John’s deep love and concern for Gaius and for all those who had come to know Christ through his ministry. He considered them his spiritual children, and he rejoiced when they followed God’s will and walked in His ways. He also prayed for them regularly, asking God to bless them and keep them in His love.
As parents and grandparents, we can relate to John’s feelings and prayers for his spiritual children. We also have a great joy and delight when we see our children or grandchildren living for God and walking in His truth. We also have a great responsibility and privilege to pray for them and support them in their spiritual growth.
How can we do that? Here are some practical suggestions:
– Read and study the Bible with them. The Bible is God’s Word and His truth. It teaches us who God is, what He has done for us, and how He wants us to live. Reading and studying the Bible with our children or grandchildren can help them grow in their knowledge and understanding of God and His ways. It can also help us have meaningful conversations about faith and life issues.
– Model a godly lifestyle for them. Our actions speak louder than our words. If we want our children or grandchildren to walk in God’s truth, we need to walk in it ourselves. We need to show them what it means to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We need to demonstrate honesty, integrity, kindness, generosity, forgiveness, humility, and other godly virtues in our daily lives.
– Encourage them in their gifts and talents. God has given each of us unique gifts and talents that He wants us to use for His glory and for the benefit of others. We can help our children or grandchildren discover and develop their gifts and talents by providing opportunities for them to explore their interests, passions, and abilities. We can also affirm them in their achievements and challenges, and celebrate their successes and failures.
– Pray for them regularly. Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can support our children or grandchildren in their walk with God. We can pray for their physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. We can pray for their protection from evil influences and temptations. We can pray for their guidance and direction in making wise decisions. We can pray for their relationships with God and with others. We can pray for their salvation if they have not yet accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior.
3 John 1-4 is a wonderful reminder of the joy we have as parents or grandparents when we see our children or grandchildren walking in God’s truth. It is also a wonderful motivation for us to pray for them and encourage them in their faith journey. May we always say with John, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”