No Greater Joy

To the left you see my three sons and my daughter-in-law - Ben, Christa, Bobby, and Billy. 3 John 4 says, "I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth." To this I say a hearty amen! I am so blessed by what the Lord has done in the lives of my children. Roberta and I have truly seen the grace of God and the power of His Word at work in their lives. Our children all love the Lord, they devour His Word, and they are all actively and joyfully giving their lives away in service to their Savior. I am humbled and overjoyed that the Lord would bless me in this way.

As a pastor, though, I know that not all families are filled with this joy. Many parents struggle in their relationships with their children. Often parents are discouraged, disappointed, desperate, and depressed. This breaks my heart. It doesn't have to be this way. Many parents don't know what to do. They struggle in this area of parenting.

I believe the Bible is sufficient to equip parents for the hard work of raising their children. I would encourage parents to thoughfully and carefully study the Scripture regarding this subject. I recommend Deuteronomy 6:1-9; The Book of Proverbs; Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:20-21, and others. I would also draw your attention to Psalm 128. This Psalm paints an incredible picture of a family. It talks about being happy and it being well with you. This Psalm likens the mom to a fruitful vine meaning one who gives life and refreshment. Also, children are referred to as olive plants which speaks of their great value. Who wouldn't want this kind of family? Well, it says that this is the blessing given to the one who fears the Lord. Fearing the Lord involves walking in His ways as verse 1 says. God is gracious and His Word is true. Roberta and I are not perfect parents. Not by a long shot. But God is gracious and as we have followed His Word we have seen Him work in our lives and our children.

Children are seen as a mystery by many. Parents today don't seem to have much hope. It doesn't have to be this way. If we cut the Scripture straight we can see that the Lord who gives us these children also gives us great hope in the raising of them. One of my pastoral responsibilities is to oversee family ministries. My prayer is that parents would find hope, wisdom, and strength from the Lord and that they would walk faithfully (and fearfully) following His Word so that they would know the great joy that comes from seeing their children walk in the truth.

There is no greater joy.