Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 1:2 NKJV)

According to dictionary.com, “to prosper” means to be successful or fortunate, especially in financial respects; to thrive or flourish.  But what does that mean when it’s applied to our souls?  Clearly, spiritual success can’t be measured according to an economy that is limited to the natural world.  Instead, we have to look to the supernatural to assess the condition of our souls.

Your soul should be prospering in commitment to God… God wants us to love Him above all things, under all conditions. (excerpt from Feed The Seed & Meet The Need pt.3, by Dr. Chester C. Pipkin)

In other words, a prosperous soul is one that abounds in trust, knowledge and faith towards God alone.  Investing our hearts in anything less than God Himself is guaranteed to go bust sooner or later because only God can fulfill what our soul really longs for in this life and continue to pay dividends towards an eternal reward. 

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26 NKJV)

When we commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord, we’re buying into a sure thing.  And when it comes to the eternal prosperity of our souls, there’s no other way to invest.