By: Dumebi Onoh
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” III John 1:2 NKJV
Ever since I was made aware of September’s theme, ‘The Return of True Prosperity’, this scripture has been the soundtrack of my days, rolling over somewhere in the corner of my mind like a broken record. I guess this is what Christian meditation is all about.
You can imagine how I felt when I hopped onto my Church’s midday prayer call (shout out LifePointe Church and the entire body of Christ) and this was the scripture for the day. Admittedly, I’d had a bit of trouble dissecting this word and God, merciful as He is, sent me help by way of this meeting. It brought a fresh perspective to an already overdone topic and I left feeling really grateful to have been there. Here are a few things I have learnt in the course of meditating on this verse:
God desires that we prosper: This may sound like a no-brainer to some. However, if you have had certain experiences or perhaps have been in environments where not fruit, but suffering is considered the truest mark of one’s faith in God, then you must have had moments when you questioned this. Admittedly, me too. The notion of God’s desire for us to prosper put side by side with biblical accounts of people like Job or Jeremiah, and Paul’s charges to Timothy to suffer with Christ can put some of us in a bit of a conundrum. But like 2 Timothy verse 16 tells us: ALL scripture is God-breathed and profitable to us, including 3 John 1 verse 2.
Understanding prosperity and suffering as God designed requires us to situate these concepts within the context of the Word of God. Eniola and Subomi spoke more on this topic in a recent Instagram live session. You can catch this conversation in one of our more recent Instagram posts.
The Prosperity of our Souls is God’s priority: From the ever popular John 3:16 to 1 Timothy 2 verse 4, we can quickly learn that God’s priority is the souls of men. The Gospel is founded on God’s desire for us to be in right relationship with Him through faith in Christ Jesus. However, with a culture that encourages us to circumvent suffering at all costs, even at the cost of our very souls, we must understand that God operates very differently. So it ought to come as no surprise when we read the gospel accounts of the rich young ruler’s encounter with Jesus. Here, Jesus challenges him and, by extension, all of us to take on God’s perspective of prosperity~which is true as God is true.
In a world like ours, where needs and realities are as pressing as they get while luxuries increasingly become the standard of living and wealth the determinant of one’s value, Jesus challenges us, as citizens of the Kingdom of God, to lay aside our natural ideas of prosperity and learn what true prosperity means where we are from.
In God’s kingdom, true prosperity is to live in harmony with God, and glorifying the Father and caring for His people in all things. We see with people like Abraham and David that it is possible to achieve these and still have wealth. However, we must note that while we have a Father who is willing and well able to give us good gifts, the greatest gift remains fellowship with God through the Holy Spirit, and if we must choose between the two, like Paul, we are charged to count everything else as loss to gain the ultimate prize which is Christ Jesus our Lord.
True Prosperity is Holistic and Can Only Come from God: Genuine unity with God will always bear fruit in all areas of our lives. From our attitude to work, to our relationships with people and our own selves. God’s desire is that we prosper in all things with a prosperity that flows from Him as our unending Source.
“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:17-20 NKJV
Other scripture references:
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ Philippians 3:8 NIV
“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Luke 19:5-8 NIV
“Abram fell facedown, and God said to him…“As for me, this is my covenant with you: The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” Genesis 17:3,4&8 NIV
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