Prospering Your Soul
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. III John 1:2 (NKJV)
This statement by the Apostle John shows us that there is a connection between how we are doing in our souls and how we are doing overall- even in our physical health. The wellness of our souls is key to our total wellbeing and wholeness. Let’s consider how we make sure our souls are prospering.
First of all, let’s do a quick review of the soul of man. We are each made of spirit, soul and body. The spirit is used to connect to God, the body is used to connect to the world around us, but what is the soul used for? It is how we connect to ourselves. The soul is made up of the mind, will, and emotions. In the simplest terms, the mind is the thinker, the will is the chooser, and the emotional part is the feeler.
How do we prosper our souls? We must ensure each part of the soul is guarded, protected, and exposed to only the best influences.
Mind
We guard our minds by keeping watch over our thought life. And to do this, we must be in the Word, so it is uppermost in our thought life. We also keep ourselves from viewing and hearing things that will lead our thoughts in a wrong direction. For example, if we watch the news on a regular basis, it is going to affect our thought life and will introduce fears and concerns that we need not dwell on. To be honest, I avoid the news. If we listen to music with sad lyrics or violent themes, it is unhealthy for our mind, as well as our emotions. You get the idea. The things we allow to enter our minds through our eyes and ears will affect our thinking and the health of our souls.
Will
We usually know right from wrong and we are led by God to see what is the correct choice in each situation we are in. However, if we choose to repetitively place ourselves in situations where we are tempted, eventually we will stray from right choices and be drawn into wrong decisions. It’s like the dieter who goes with friends into a bakery every morning. Their companions buy pastries and other tempting treats while the dieter chooses a cup of black coffee. The dieter may do okay the first day or two, but eventually they will give into the temptation. We keep our wills properous by avoiding temptation. Also, praying in the Holy Ghost will strengthen our inner man.
Emotions
Our emotions are affected by our thoughts. How we choose to think will influence how we feel. Therefore, by guarding our minds, we also help ourselves in our emotions. So, it is important to watch what we watch, hear, and who we allow ourselves to be around, because that impacts our thoughts. We must surround ourselves with people who lift us up, encourage us, and have our best interests at heart. Additionally, emotions can be influenced by spiritual activity going on around us. For example, spirits of fear can cause us to have certain negative emotions. Therefore, we can also guard our emotions by exercising our authority over demonic spirits. When we begin to feel fear, depression, or any other emotion that comes from the enemy, we can tell that evil spirit to leave. And choosing to praise the Lord will drive away any heaviness we may feel. Finally, I want to note that once in a while hormonal imbalances and other physical conditions can cause certain emotional problems. If you believe your hormones may be out of balance or there is a physical issue messing with your emotions, have it checked out.
When our souls prosper, we prosper in our health and every area of life. When our souls are healthy and in subjection to our spirits, we experience overall wellness and wholeness. And that’s exactly what God wants for us all.
