The Road Less Traveled

I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.  3 John 4  NASB

Walking – This Greek word is peripatounta.  It combines two Greek words to produce the meaning, “to walk about.”  This is a Greek substitution for a Hebrew idiom that encompasses all of our activities.  “To walk in God’s ways” is the Hebrew expression of our entire conduct in the world.  In this verse, John puts the emphasis on “truth.”   Literally, he says, “in the truth are walking.”  John says that truth is the active operation of our present daily moving about.  That means John is thinking like a Jew.  He is not telling us that having correct (true) theology is the essence of spirituality.  He is telling us that living according to reliable authority (Hebrew emunah) is what matters.

Did you notice that John addresses fellow believers as “my children”?  His comment is full of tenderness and pride.  Nothing makes him happier than to see the ones he has nurtured in the faith walk according to the ways of God.

My wife and I used to say that our only goal for our children is see that they are happy.  We really did not care what career they chose, who they decided to marry, where they wanted to live.  We wanted them to have happy lives.  But these days we see that something else is more important.  Happiness is nice, but fulfilling God’s purpose and walking in His ways is much, much better.  Happiness is temporary, as we have both learned over the years.  But purpose under God’s mighty hand is eternal.  To know the truth and to walk in it surpasses all temporary forms of happiness because God’s purposes carry us through any circumstances.  Today we wish to say that same thing that John says:  “We want no greater joy than to hear that our children are walking in truth.”  That will mean they have a place in God’s plan.

Sadly, many children live the kind of lives each of us had before we walked in the truth.  They followed in our footsteps, much to our shame.  Now we all have a new burden – the burden of prayer for those we brought into this world.  There is no greater joy than to hear that your children walk in the truth.  And there is no greater sorrow than to hear that they do not.  It should drive us to our knees, pleading with God to work His purposes in their lives so that they will find what we have found – life in the truth.

Topical Index:  walking, peripatounta, truth, emunah, 3 John 4