Children Of Faith
My daughter Lara and I recently enjoyed a full day of shopping while I was visiting her in California.
Her three toddlers, Lisa and twins Nathan and Cole, alternated taking turns in the double stroller and walking next to us.
We stopped in a jewelry store so Lara could show me a beautiful necklace in the shape of a cross that she was hoping would be a birthday present from her husband, Craig.
Lisa was sitting in the front of the stroller, peering into the jewelry case and listening to Lara’s conversation with the saleslady.
Lara gently draped the gold chain of the necklace over her fingers and let the cross dangle.
“That’s a cross!” four-year-old Lisa exclaimed. “Mommy, that’s a cross!”
“I know, honey,” Lara said.
“That’s what Jesus came to do, he came to do that, Mom,” Lisa said, now standing on the footrest of the stroller as if in a pulpit all her own.
I smiled at Lara and felt tears rise up in my eyes as I witnessed the fruit of parents teaching their children the truth.
We now have seven grandchildren and relish so many wonderful times with them and their obvious Christian upbringing.
It is difficult to think of anything more joyful than watching the truth spill out of them.
They are fully normal kids with their fair share of mischievousness, but they also soak up God’s truth.
In this verse, John was writing to Gaius, a Christian in one of the churches of the province of Asia.
John was apparently referring to converts or believers in his care. He had had word that Gaius was walking in truth and delighted in that good news.
God, in his providence, imparts truth in many ways: through his Word, through his presence in the Holy Spirit, and through the words of pastors and teachers.
And he uses all of us as his vehicles to impart truth to those close to us.
How wonderful it is that the Word of God has the power to change lives, even when delivered in the routine of parenting. I used very little formality when teaching my children biblical truth.
I just tried to live in front of them what I talked to them about. As is usually the case in parenting, I didn’t know just how much of what I said stuck.
It seems that a good deal of it did. Of course, they had many other godly influences in their lives, but I know that some of the truth they now live came from our time together as a family.
Whether we have children or not, we all have the means to impart truth. And then sometimes we are blessed to enjoy the fruit of our labor.
Father, it is such a joy to see others walk in truth. We thank you for using us to help impact others with your Word.