Even unbelievers can see this truth
No Greater Joy
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For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, just as you are living according to the truth. I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to the truth.
3 John 3-4 (NET)
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I’ve been reading a lot of biographies this year.
Something that’s come up in each of them is the life & joy that their children bring.
Children bring out some of the greatest joys.
Of course this passage is talking about spiritual children.
That John did the hard work of raising up disciples who would walk with God throughout the struggles of Roman life. Now he was hearing of the fruit of that labor.
It brought him great joy too.
I have no idea if John had children of his own.
But whether spiritual children walking with Jesus or physical children, he’s tapping into the truth.
Just like physical children bring the most joy when they are living according to the right guidelines of life, spiritual children bring the most joy when they are living according to God’s guidelines.
Obviously the rule-breakers don’t bring joy.
Oh, they’ll bring a lot of frustration and sorrow and even anger.
But not much joy.
Well, we cannot do a lot about the choices of others. But we can choose our own reactions.
We can also pray.
Which we should be doing all the time anyway.
Praying for all kinds of children, that God would lead them and guide them and protect them and raise up in wisdom.
So they can grow and create new children who bring more joy to the world.
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2026 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
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