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No Greater Joy

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 
3 John 4

While on Facebook recently, I stumbled across a young lady that I used to babysit when I was in college.  She was the oldest of the three children in her family and I was mortified to realize that she herself was in college now! 

After perusing her profile page for a few minutes, I felt such great joy to see that she was doing well.  When I speak of her doing well, I'm not speaking in terms of academics, health, or wealth.  I am speaking about how it was very obvious to see that she had matured into a Godly young lady with a desire to serve Him.  All of the many years of devotion and love that her Christ honoring parents poured into her life has proven to have paid off and their college-aged daughter is living testament of it.

I've heard Sunday School teachers speak of finding out that a former pupil of theirs is now a pastor or  missionary.  You can hear the pride and joy (and sometimes relief) in their voice whenever they're telling about it because they feel like they have played a part in shaping that young heart for what God would call them to do later in life.  Whenever a Sunday School teacher has invested time, prayers, and energy into the life of a child, they have the right to feel pride to find out that they are living a life in service to God.

As John, the very close friend of Jesus, was writing his third epistle, he commended his friend Gaius for continuing "to walk in the truth."  He stated that he felt great joy to hear that "his children" have endured in their faith and remained committed to the truth.  Now, John wasn't speaking of actual children that he fathered, but rather of believers who were under his spiritual guidance.  He was speaking of people that he had personally won to Christ or who had grown in their walk with Christ because of his influence.

Have you taken the time to invest in someone's spiritual life?  If you have, then you should be praying that they remain steadfast in the faith and continue to walk in the truth.  I don't have the mindset that all teenagers or college-aged kids have to go through a rebellious stage.  I fully believe that with God's help, a believer can live a life that honors God without having to succumb to the temptations of the world.  I believe that Paul demonstrated how we should be praying whenever he said:

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:  bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God."  Coloss. 1:10

We have to believe in our hearts that the Words of life and the truth of the Gospel can and will make a lifelong impact on those who we are influencing. We must live with expectancy.  We must live knowing that those people who are under our realm of influence can live their lives for the Lord without having large portions of time when they fell away from the faith.

Who do you have influence over? 
  • Do you have children who are still in your home?
  • Are you a missions or Bible study leader at church?
  • Do you have friends, family members, or co-workers that you have had the privilege of leading to Christ?
Whenever you get the opportunity to leave a lasting effect on another person, I encourage you to do it all for the glory of God.  Speak wisdom and God's truth into their lives.  Then, trust that the seeds you have planted will produce great fruit in the future.

Who knows . . . you might be mentoring and investing in the life of the next Billy Graham or Beth Moore.

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