Prospering In All Things
In this scripture, the Apostle John prays for Gaius's spiritual prosperity and physical well-being. It reminds us that God cares about us as a whole and wants us to be prosperous in mind, body, soul, and spirit, not just in one area of our lives.
Growing up in church, it seemed like the main focus of prosperity was money or materialism, but it is more than just that. God desires that we thrive and be prosperous and be in good health in all things. What good is it if you have money but don’t know how to be a good steward of what He has given you? If we aren’t physically fit it can cause us to lose energy or motivation. What good is all the money in the world and you lose your soul?
Mind, Body, Soul, and Spirit
The battlefield starts in the mind. Romans 12:2 urges us to renew our minds daily to discern God's will for our lives. We have to continue to nurture our minds with the word of God. Doing so will cause us to guard our minds from negative or destructive patterns and allow peace to reign.
Our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and our responsibility is to take care of it. This means that our physical health matters to God. We honor Him when we learn how to take care of our bodies through proper rest, proper nutrition, and physical activity.
The soul is where our emotions, our will, and intellect reside. So as our soul prospers so does our overall well-being. A healthy soul depends on our deep relationship with God nourished through prayer, worship, and fellowship with God. When our souls are at peace and rest in Christ, they overflow to other areas in our lives.
Our spirit is the part of us that communes with God. It is through our spirit that we experience a deep connection with Him. We should be in His presence daily, surrounding our desires and walking in the Spirit. We must keep our spirits alive and in tune with God by continually staying in his presence in prayer.
'For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, love, and a sound mind.” -2 Timothy 1:7
It is our human nature to be fearful but we aren’t meant to stay there or operate in it. Fear is not something God gave us, so we don’t have to accept it. He has given us the power to overcome because we are more than conquers through Christ Jesus. Love covers a multitude of sins but we have to allow Him to love through us because, in our strength alone, we wouldn’t be able to do it. We also continue to have a sound mind by reading God’s word daily.
I have found that one of the biggest things that has kept me from living a full balanced life is when I have operated in the spirit of fear because it kept me in a stagnated place. It can cause unnecessary anxiety and depression.
The moment I learned the power of forgiveness I truly felt myself being set free. Forgiveness isn’t for them, it is for you. Not forgiving others can hold you hostage and can keep you from moving forward. It can also bring about sickness but whom the Son set free is free indeed.
Question for Reflection:
Take time to evaluate each of these areas, your mind, body, soul, and spirit. Are they in alignment with God's purpose in your life?
