2 John 4 --- I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.
It's Friday and we're going into a three-day Memorial Day weekend! It'll be busy as we have close family graduating and more! I pray you have a blessed weekend and holiday as well.
We journey forward in the Word to verse 4 and the first stop the Lord had was right at the beginning, if read in English it's the second word, in the Greek it comes as the first word: REJOICED GREATLY (some translate it DELIGHTED, HAPPY, GLAD)
John REJOICED greatly when he came across those walking in the truth! What a reaction. Great joy and gladness! Oh, how it's needed in our lives.
"Greatly Rejoiced" in the Greek is one word, chairō and depending on how it is written it can mean simply, "to rejoice, be glad", but how it is written here means, "to rejoice exceedingly". It's rejoicing with an exclamation mark!
We see the reaction here as this wonderful overflowing rejoicing. How many of us Christians have this response when we come across our brothers and sisters who are walking in the truth? I'll be the first to admit, I can't say that my response is always one of great rejoicing. Most times because of how busy life is, it's easy to just simply acknowledge it, shake their hand, then move back into the fast lane of your day and drive away. What great joy and encouragement would we have if we were to simply slow down long enough to rejoice over those who walk in truth and abide in Him, instead of dangerously dancing on the edge of bitterness and anger over all who are not?
The final stop on today's journey through 2 John verse 4 are the words, SOME OF. This really hammered in for me to be aware of what I'm focusing on. So many times, we get fixated on the negative, on what's not happening, that we fail to see the positive and what is happening. I've been guilty of meeting someone who is walking in the truth, on fire for the Lord, having a great time talking with them, then walking away thinking, "Why aren't we all like this…why can't the church wake up…why… why… why…". How tragic for me to take a huge blessing of meeting a brother on fire for the Lord, walking in His truth, abiding with Him, and turn it to a negative, depressing thing…instead of greatly rejoicing, dancing a little rejoicing jig, and praising God for it!
God created our brains where they cannot think two thoughts at the exact same time, so that means when we choose to actively, ongoing, focus on the negatives, we are wholly consumed by it. It's not that we have negative thoughts. We're human, we'll have them. Remember 1 John shows us clearly us Christians still slip up and sin. So, it's not that we have negative thoughts, it's choosing to focus and live there. All the while joy, gladness and little rejoicing jig dances are grow dusty on a shelf somewhere.
We tend to forget we're actually commanded to dwell upon the positive, good and Godly things. See Philippians 4:8 below. Again, not that we don't have negative thoughts, or that sometimes we do have to address negative things. This is about where we choose to dwell our thoughts regularly.
Philippians 4:8 --- Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].
Where are you choosing to focus today?
Well, this is all for today. Have a wonderful Friday. Be the Berean and jump into your Bible today and see what God has to tell you on this!
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