Jump Start # 987
3 John 1-2 “The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.”
The book of 3 John is one of five books in the Bible that contain only one chapter. In these short 15 verses, three names are given, two of them positive and one negative. Gaius, who John loved; Demetrius, who received a good testimony from brethren and the truth; and, Diotrephes, who loved self and caused much heartache for the church.
Our attention today is upon Gaius. If this is the same Gaius that we read about earlier in the N.T., he was baptized by Paul (1 Cor 1:14), and later hosted Paul and the church (Rom 16:23). Here in 3 John, he is referred to as the beloved. That doesn’t just happen. To be loved and cherished in a spiritual way is to walk in truth and demonstrate a common love in the Lord.
What is interesting in these verses today is the expression, “you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” John seems to be saying, I hope the rest of you prospers as much as your soul does. We tend to get that backward. We get our finances in order and work out and watch what we eat and take care of the outside, sometimes and often times, more than we do our soul. That is something for us to think about today.
Hitting the gym is great. Watching what you eat has benefits. Living within our means is valuable. But what about our souls? Are the souls prospering? There is a definite contrast being made between the inside and the outside of a person. Taking care of the outside is important, but that doesn’t last. Sooner or later we fall apart and we meet that appointment with death. It doesn’t matter how well we have eaten, worked out and taken care of things, that divine appointment comes. The insides, our soul, lasts. It is everlasting. Another contrast is in the benefits between the insides and the outsides. Eating well, good health, prosperity has benefits. They makes us feel good and secure. Prospering on the inside affects others. A soul that prospers will have developed the moral and godly character that mirrors Christ. Grace, forgiveness, kindness, generosity and love are hallmarks of a faith in Christ Jesus. How we see others, treat others, interact with others is all affected by the wellbeing of our soul. A selfish heart will close the eyes to others. A harsh spirit will refuse to forgive. When those things happen, relationships take a hit and are strained. Bitterness and anger fill the air and difficulties follow.
A prospering soul is much more valuable and beneficial than financial prosperity or even good health. Poor health but a prospering soul can touch lives and change eternity for some.
It was John’s prayer that Gaius’ would prosper and be in good health JUST AS his soul prospered. I wonder about that statement. What if our physical health was JUST AS our spiritual health? I wonder if we could even get out of bed today? I wonder if we are putting too much attention into how we look on the outside and forgetting the insides? The Pharisees had that problem. Jesus said they were like a washed cup—clean on the outside but dirty on the inside. He also said that they were like a tomb, nice headstone, but full of decay on the inside. Their souls were not prospering. They had the image but not the substance. They knew how to play the part, but they didn’t know how to live life.
How does a soul prosper? Have you ever given that much thought? Like our bodies, the soul has to be fed. To prosper, it must be fed the right diet, which, first involves God’s word. Feeding our souls on the shallow and negative things that the media puts out each day will leave us weak and unable to stand during the trials of life. Just about anyone can get by in the sunshine of life. However, it’s those dark storms at night that determine what our foundation is built upon. A prospering soul has a regular diet of God’s word. Have you considered giving some presents this holiday season that would help strengthen someone’s soul? A Bible…books about the Bible…our Jump Start booklets—other items could be listed. What would help a soul? Lotion is great for the hands, what is great for the heart? Give that some thought. Help them out and make a lasting gift by helping a soul prosper.
The soul prospers when it is in an environment of encouragement. One of the best places for that is worship services. Saints praying…saints singing…saints working together…saints being together—reminds us that we are not alone. It helps us to see and be around others. The soul left alone withers and dies. The soul with no encouragement dies from discouragement. God knows that we need each other and that we need worship. Being together in worship does something positive for us. Those who don’t come much have a hard time with this. They don’t see this value. Their souls are not prospering as they could be.
The soul also prospers by personal devotion with God. Praying, thinking and applying spiritual truths to your life makes you stronger spiritually. The darts Satan throw at us has less impact the stronger our souls become.
Prospering souls—this is the goal of the shepherds in every congregation. It’s more than attendance, it’s souls that are prospering. Stronger souls mean a stronger church. Stronger souls mean stronger families. Stronger souls mean stronger marriages. Stronger souls mean the word is being shared with others. Football teams spend all summer conditioning. They know this time of year it pays off. Stronger players are less likely to spend time on the sidelines with injuries. They can endure more. We need to give some serious thought to conditioning the soul. Making the soul stronger has lasting benefits.
I pray that the rest of you prospers like your soul…great thoughts then and now.
Roger