Godliness with Contentment
ICS Daily Devotions
3 John 1:1-4 (NKJV) The Elder, To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
3 John is a letter from the Apostle John, an Elder, to Gaius, whom he loved as a brother in Christ. Gaius walked closely with God because he lived in the truth. This brought much joy to John. John prayed that Gaius would prosper in all things and enjoy good health, just as his soul prospered. He was wise not only to pray for financial prosperity, which in isolation can be meaningless.
As Christians, we understand that we are journeying through this life as pilgrims and sojourners. Life on earth is only temporal; we have a destiny in heaven where we shall spend eternity in the presence of God. We did not bring anything into the world, so we cannot take any material blessings with us when we die. In fact, why would we need to bring anything to heaven where even the roads are paved with gold! Therefore, why do we devote so much of our time and energy to material possessions and earthly accolades?
The original word for “prosper” is euodoo, which includes material prosperity as well as physical and spiritual health. Therefore, the word “prosperity” in the Bible differs significantly from the world’s definition. According to the Apostle John, biblical prosperity is more holistic as it covers spiritual, physical, and material health. Hence, the biblical definition of prosperity should be the yardstick for measuring whether we are genuinely prospering in God’s way rather than in a worldly sense. Therefore, the question you should ask yourself is, “Am I prospering holistically?”
Philippians 4:19 (NKJV) And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
We all want to have many nice things in life, but the above Scripture says that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants in life. God does not promise that all of us will be multimillionaires. Instead, the Bible advocates godliness with contentment as a great gain. Therefore, we must be careful not to let the spirit of the world influence us.
We worship a God who created heaven and earth. If good earthly fathers know how to give good gifts, how much more will our Heavenly Father provide for all we need? He will supply all our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus when we journey with Him.
Sermon Series: Prospering In All Things
