Two of the greatest areas of concern in life are wealth and health. As we age these become even more important. In light of this, the Epistle of III John has a very interesting verse.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Think about this: it is nothing for us to talk after fellowship or church about things that affect our health and nutrition and then to study nutrition during the week. But the subject of finances has been stigmatized for hundreds of years to the end that most Christians don’t speak much about it.
Our adversary, the devil, has attacked the subject of health, to the end that many Christians believe it is God’s will for them to be sick. This enemy also, through devilish doctrines, has caused many Christians to believe that if you have much money you must have gotten it through shady means, and that you are greedy. The devil has put forth that the most humble people are poor.
A good friend of mine, Rev. Mike Verdicchio, wrote a book and produced a CD on healing that are very good. The book shows that it is God’s will for you to be whole – that by the stripes of Jesus Christ you were healed.
Some people feel that prosperity and health are inextricably interwoven:
- Great wealth but bedridden?
- Great health but in poverty?
God wants us to have both together. Great health AND prosperity. These are two of the biggest areas of concern in many people’s lives. It is the desire of God that we are all prosperous and healthy.
If both health and prosperity are part of God’s will, then both should be acceptable to study.
Christianity has taught that if you speak of money then you are greedy. If to desire great health is to desire God’s will for your life, then to desire great prosperity should be just as acceptable as part of God’s will for your life. A steady diet of teaching from God’s Word, listened to every day, could prosper your soul, increase your believing, and increase your understanding of God’s Word. Could that, then, have an impact on your prosperity and health? Change your life?
This subject of prosperity is covered in more detail in our book Poverty vs Wealth, available on Amazon. It would be well worth your time to read it in your search for The Prosperous Life.
Roger, I agree, much wrong teaching about money has led many to accept poverty as a virtue. You cover many great biblical points in your book. God’s people need some serious biblical teaching about money. Thanks for the article.
Thank you Mike for the kind words. Also I will put a link to the book into the text!
This is truly powerful stuff. Thank you for sticking to biblical truths and rightly dividing the Word. All too often we hear watered down and inaccurate teachings from the church. This kind of stuff is a breath of fresh air, a light in a dark place.