Soul Prosperity

3rd John the second verse says, “My loving desire for you is that you will be prosperous and healthy just as your soul is prosperous.” (My own paraphrase)

The apostle John expresses God’s desire for His people to be healthy not only in body but in their soul. In fact he implies that physical health is linked to and even dependant upon a healthy soul. Since the soul is made up of our mind, our will and our emotions it might be good to do a quick health check up in this area.

The mind is where we develop habits and thinking patterns which can be both healthy and unhealthy. What we think about God, ourselves and others determines the level of health in that area of our soul. For example if I believe that God is not concerned with the details of my life or think I do not deserve anything from Him I will receive according to my expectations. If I assume my troubles are meant by God to teach me a lesson then I will likely have lots of troubles. Negative thought patterns are like a withdrawal or a deduction from the prosperity of our soul. A life dominated by negative thoughts is not healthy and will eventually bankrupt the soul. A positive believing attitude will guard the deposits that have been made and add value and health to our soul.

I can not afford to think or believe anything about God or my self that does not agree with His word and will for me. While His desires and thoughts toward me are always to prosper me and instill hope for the future, I must not allow negative thought patterns to drain away the things God is pouring into my soul. While much of the world is in the grip of uncertainty and fear of what the future holds, our God continues to say fear not for I have overcome the world.

Our will is another area of the soul in which we often battle. Isaiah 1:19 says “If ye are willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land.” (KJV) If our will doesn’t yield to the will of God we do not partake of the prosperity of the land. Though this was spoken by Isaiah to the people of Israel concerning the natural fruit of the land we can apply it to our spiritual promised land that flows with the goodness of God.

In 2 Kings 7 we read the account of Samaria being cut off by enemies not allowing commerce to flow thus the people are nearing starvation and even about to eat their own children. The prophet Elisha speaks the word of the Lord saying, “by this time tomorrow a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria.” The King’s right hand man responded to the word of the Lord with doubt and unbelief so Elisha told him he would see it with his eyes but would not taste of it. The next day when food was available in the street the King's right hand man was trampled to death in the stampede of hungry people.

This man was convinced that God was not good and even blamed Him for the starvation of people. His negative attitude and unbelief prevented him from receiving from God when the abundance came. In a similar way our negative attitudes and unbelief will prevent us from partaking of the abundance of God’s Kingdom. We must believe that God is good and not the author of starvation or famine. Though our enemy may have had some success in keeping us from the abundant life, the word of the Lord in these last days has been spoken through His Son. Whose report will we believe? Our will must yield to His will to experience the great health and prosperity He has in store.

The final part of the soul we want to look at is our emotions. Healthy emotions are another key to maintaining a prosperous soul. Just as our mind and will were given by God our emotions are wonderfully designed to experience the many facets of relationships. Unhealthy emotions are usually the result of a shaky foundation. The believer who bases his righteousness, peace or joy on his ability to keep certain religious requirements is building upon the faulty foundation of human effort. The unshakable Kingdom of God is not experienced through rules and regulations but through righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is an undeserved gift from God.

Unhealthy emotions are generally revealed through instability. One who is easily overcome by fear or allows feelings and circumstances to determine their demeanor is not prosperous in that area of the soul. The peace that comes with an unshakable Kingdom stabilizes our emotions. Healthy emotions are a product of being rooted and grounded in God’s Kingdom of love. Feelings and emotions can lie and mislead us. We can not allow our emotions to trump the word of God. I may feel abandoned and worthless but that doesn’t change God’s will and desire for me. If I give more credence to my feelings than to the truth of God I have just allowed the thief to plunder my soul.

Things that are factual truth yet do not agree with God’s plan for us must be treated as such. Not all truth is equal. Truth in this temporary life may conflict with the eternal truth of God. We must focus on what we are becoming rather than the old creation that has passed away. Though I may not feel righteous or see the prosperity with my eyes I can not allow the outward appearance of things to over rule the working of God’s word in me. The things we often see or feel can be contrary to Father’s plan but we are a work in progress and must keep our eyes on the one we are being conformed to.

God always places priority on the eternal knowing that the things which are seen quickly pass away while those things which are unseen last forever. The health and prosperity of our eternal soul can set the stage for our physical health and financial prosperity. Now that we have discovered the areas that prevent soul prosperity we can plug the leaks so to speak and develop a greater integrity to handle the abundance of His Kingdom.