DO SOMETHING!

3 John 1-4 (NIV)

The elder,

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

I was reading today in 3 John how excited the author (John) was when he heard that a good friend of his, Gaius, who he had spent time with leading and teaching about the truth of Jesus, not only had a “faithfulness to the truth”, but was “continuing to walk in the truth.”

John, full of excitement over this wonderful news then made this statement:

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

As I reflected on these four verses, I realized something. Yes, John had “great joy” from hearing of Gaius “faithfulness to the truth” but John’s greatest joy, came from hearing the Gaius was “walking in the truth”. In other words, John’s “greater joy” came from Gaius putting his faith into actions!

Gaius had moved from being a hearer of “the truth” of Jesus in the worship service on Sunday morning or his weekly LifeGroup to a person who was willing to try and live it out daily.

Gaius moved from a person meditating and thinking about “the truth” of Jesus to a person who was willing to actually try and demonstrate “the truth” of Jesus by how he treated those around him.

“The truth” of Jesus wasn’t a just a good idea or theory to Gaius. “The truth” of Jesus was an actual belief and faith that was so strong within him, that it couldn’t be contained. He had to do SOMETHING with what he believed. He chose to allow “the truth” of Jesus that was growing within him, to be shared with others by his actions.

To our knowledge, Gaius didn’t have to move to the mission field in another country, he didn’t have to go to seminary, or anything that earth shaking. He was just LIVING OUT the truth of Jesus right where he was.

And guess what. As Gaius LIVED OUT “the truth” of Jesus in his daily life, word spread (how else would John have heard about it). And that positive word about how he was LIVING OUT “the truth”, became a source of encouragement to his teacher, John (which was earth shaking to John).

Is “the truth” of Jesus just another belief or good theory on paper that comes up in our conversations with others around the water cooler at work?

Or is it an actual belief and faith that is so strong within you, that it can’t be contained and you just have to DO SOMETHING, like living it out each day, wherever you are, so others can experience it?

I promise you this, when we chose to take our faith in “the truth” of Jesus to the next level and actually begin LIVING OUT “the truth” of Jesus in our daily actions, not only will people experience the positive life change Jesus can bring, there will be such a contagious excitement within the body of believers that others will join with you as well.

Start the Ripple Effect of “the truth” of Jesus right where you are. DO SOMETHING!