3 John 3-4 – For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
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What makes a pastor happy? If he is a good pastor at all, he will find great joy in the very thing that John wrote here. Any worthwhile pastor will be overjoyed to find that his children, those with whom he has shared the gospel, are walking in the truth.
There is a big difference in finding joy over projects accomplished, buildings built, programs implemented, or such things and a congregation that walks in truth. In reality, John’s joy here, for a congregation of which he is not the pastor but with whom he communicates, runs counter cultural to some who pastor churches today. John’s big concern is truth. He wants the people to walk in the truth. Such is his church growth strategy.
One call that is found in this section of scripture is for all of us who have anything to do with any form of Christian ministry. That call is for us to set our hearts on helping people to walk in the truth. Successful ministry must include teaching people to walk in the truth. Any other form of supposed success that does not include teaching people to walk in truth is not genuine ministry success. While we can not force people to live and walk a certain way, our ministries’ purposes must include, as a driving force, a genuine commitment to help people walk in truth.
On the other hand, there is a lesson here for all believers. If the goal of any truly successful ministry must include helping people to walk in truth, a major life goal of any believer must be to walk in truth. It is not enough to simply learn or know truth, we are called to walk in the truth. Our life is to be marked by biblical truth. The way we live, the way we walk, the way we conduct our selves is to be rightly connected to the truth of God as revealed in scripture. We must live what we believe.
Today, check yourself for commitment to walk in truth. Is your life marked by the truth of the word of God? Does Gods’ word permeate the way that you think and live in every circumstance? It should. Then, commit yourself to true ministry, teaching others to live and walk in truth. Like John, find joy in seeing others walk in truth too.
Dear Lord, I thank you for this revelation of the heart of a true minister of the gospel. All who serve you faithfully must walk in the truth and help others to walk in the truth too. Please teach me your truth, and empower me to walk in it. Please also allow me to be used of you to teach others the truth and to walk in it. May I never get caught up in any form of ministry that does not also lead others to walk in truth.
Pastor Travis Peterson 