Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Living a Balanced Life Week 1 Day 3

3 John 2-4

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (NIV)

Notice the blessing that John gives to Gaius in this personal letter. In exchange for his generosity, John blesses Gaius with the prayer that “you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you.” But, John makes one qualification here: “even as your soul is getting along well.”

All of us would enjoy being blessed with good health and good favor. But, notice the tie in: how is your soul doing? So, how is your soul today? Is your soul at peace? Is your soul troubled?

John mentions the path that gives his friend, Gaius, peace. All is well with his soul because of his “faithfulness to the truth.” What is the truth? Well, maybe a better question is “Who is the truth?” Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6, NIV). Faithfulness to the Truth, Jesus, brings about blessings in our life.

How might we be unfaithful to the Truth? Unfaithfulness is putting something else in Jesus’ place. Unfaithfulness could be believing the news commentators more than we believe Jesus. Unfaithfulness could be taking the words of the naysayers, the gossips, and the negative rather than embracing the Truth of our Savior.
Don’t get me wrong here. If we spend all of our time praying and never exercise, we’ll probably end up being overweight, which could lead to poor health. But, personally, if I am trusting in Jesus, I don’t make as many trips to the fridge for comfort.

What is troubling your soul today? How can the Truth make a difference today? Ask Him.


Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

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