Articles
As Your Soul Prospers
As Your Soul Prospers
3 John 1:1-4 1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
3 For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.
4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
Verse 2 always makes me stop and think: am I more worried about how my soul is prospering or about how I am prospering? The life of the first century disciples on the whole was not one of worldly prosperity.
Of the Macedonian brethren Paul wrote: “1 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.” (2 Cor. 8:1-2)
To the Corinthians Paul wrote: “26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;” (1Cor. 1:26).
This list can go on, but consider Jesus himself – “19 Then a scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." 20 Jesus *said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." (Matt. 8:19-20)
Yet, living in such worldly conditions they could have their soul prosper. The emphasis we put on these two different ‘conditions’ is a blunt but telling aspect of the strength of our spiritual faith.
This leads me to think that true prosperity is the willingness to serve God in whatever worldly situation I find myself. Such prosperity has one’s heart set on things above and not things here and now. So I ask, what would my worldly situation be if it prospered only as my soul does? How is your soul prospering?
Hugh DeLong
