2 John 1:4
“I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.”
John made the statement in the verse above, “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth…” This has to thrill the apostle to see the children of those who he invested his life in still doing right. He was certainly talking about the church in this verse, but the fact that he talks about the children walking in truth can also apply to your family.
One of the great desires that Christian parents have is for their children to continue walking in truth after they leave home. There is no guarantee that children will walk in truth. You can train them right, but they have their own choice. I do believe there are some things parents can do to give their children the best opportunity to walk in truth. There are several principles taught in these verses that I believe will help every parent in training their children to walk in truth.
First, love unconditionally. In verse 5, John talks about loving one another. I know this sounds strange to say that we should love unconditionally, but many homes are filled more with manipulation than they are with love. Love is not manipulating your children to get from them to act the way you want, but it is accepting them for who they are and firmly guiding them to do right. Sadly, many parents have ulterior motives behind every action, and those ulterior motives are nothing less than manipulation. Your children will eventually pick up on your manipulation tactics and will begin to play on this weakness. Instead of manipulating your children to make them act the way you want, you should let them know what you expect from them and that you love them no matter what.
Second, set definite rules, boundaries and limitations. He says in verse 6, “This is the commandment…” There must be clear rules established in every home if you want your children to walk in truth. Those rules must be followed because a rule not enforced is no rule at all. In fact, rules not enforced create excuses to punish when you are angry, which is wrong. You must have rules, but you must also enforce them if you want your children to walk in truth.
Third, be an example of walking in truth. In verse 6 he says about the commandments of God’s Word, “…as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.” You can tell your children to do right, but the best way to show them how to do right is by doing right yourself. Children will follow the example of how you live more than they will the words you say. You have a better chance of your children walking in truth by letting your commandments and words mirror each other. They should see no difference between what you are living and what you expect from them.
Fourth, beware of deceivers and keep your children from them. In verse 7, John addressed that there are deceivers in the world. Friend, there are people from whom you need to keep your children. If you want your children to walk in truth, you are going to have to watch you and your children’s associations and friends. Associations and friends will influence direction. If you protect the associations and friends that both you and your children have, you will give yourself a better chance of your children walking in truth.
These four areas will help your children walk in truth, but they will fail if a parent is not earnestly praying for their children to do right. Prayer and your example of living are the best tools to guiding your children to walk in truth.