3 John 1

“Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually.” 3 John 2 (HCSB)

It’s a natural inclination to value our physical needs above spiritual ones. We often have a higher opinion of God when we’re successful. We generally say, “God is good, because I have everything I need.”  Ironically, we call on God less when we are successful.

When times are difficult, we generally have a lower opinion of God. We ask, “Lord, why are You allowing these troubles?”  Strangely, though, it’s during hard times that we call on God the most because we’re most aware of our helplessness.

Here’s what Jesus says our priorities should be:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” Matthew 6:33 (NASB)

The bottom line is that a paradigm shift is for many of us. We must move beyond the concept of God, which views Him as a “genie” whom we order to provide things we want. Instead, we must acknowledge Him as Lord and recognize the un-surpassingly abundant value of His grace towards us…something He has already done for us. If we had proper value for what He has done for us, we would be more likely to ask what we could do for Him!  

Our relationship with God is lost whenever earthly prosperity (or the lack thereof) is more important than spiritual prosperity. God’s top priority is for His purposes to be accomplished. While He doesn’t need us to establish His agenda, He chooses to give us limited participation in the process.  

As a general rule, the acquisition of earthly abundance is not an adequate means to establish our long-term faithfulness. Conversely, our enduring hardship and experience of God’s faithfulness through adversity draw us closer to Him. It is only after we recognize the frailness of our humanity that we best perceive our dependence on Him, as well as the abundance of His great love and provision towards us.

What if our EARTHLY prosperity & health were proportional to our SPIRITUAL prosperity and health? What if they were dependent on each other? How would you fare? Suppose someone followed us around, taking notes. What if, after a month, he had to write you a “blessing”? Would he hope you would prosper “as your soul prospers,” or would he hope your soul could catch up with your physical and Worldly prosperity?

I pray that as you grow in Messiah Jesus, your health and earthly success will match your spiritual awakening.