Beloved, I pray that you may proser in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 2.
True prosperity begins on the inside. Success is a deeply personal concept, and its meaning will vary depending on the person describing what it looks like to them. No matter how you define success, soul prosperity is what we are after. This is where we take the word of God and transform the way we think to become what He said. This is success. To see yourself the way God sees you. It takes on many different shapes and sizes and spans a variety of topics. When we see things the right way, according to the word of God, it transforms our experience in life. The circumstances in life are not the change agent. Our soul is the change agent. In other words, just because circumstances change, it does not guarantee a positive or negative outcome.
The way I think, what I ponder, what I allow to be my reality – these things will change the internal landscape which will affect the external landscape.
When we have patterns of thought where we always go down the same road in our minds, we have created a pathway that becomes our default setting. Until our thought patterns get interrupted, we will continue thinking the same way, even if circumstances change. It takes effort to change the way you think. Proverbs 23:7 says “as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Our lives are a reflection of our internal vision.
Just because a negative circumstance has changed does not automatically mean we will have the success we desire. Success is not 100% dependent on circumstances. Let me illustrate it this way. If someone has a habit of making poor financial decisions and does not see themselves as successful, winning the lottery will not change their success. Their poor financial decision-making habits will remain after they win the lottery unless they have a change of thinking which leads to a change in decision making.
I have had some stressful situations in life. One recent event. What I learned is that although my circumstances changed (for the better), I still had some of the same thought processes. It left me wondering why I felt dissatisfied at times when the thing that had been such a challenge was no longer there to challenge me. My circumstances changed but the way I thought about it had not changed. I needed a mind change. I needed soul prosperity.
So, how do we make the shift to think about things the proper way?
We are instructed in Philippians 4:8 what to meditate on. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
Notice that this list builds upon itself. If we stop at only thinking on things that are “true”, we could wind up depressed and discouraged. There are many negative things in this world that are true. It’s not just any truth we are to think about, but we must go on and apply the rest of the list to the things we allow to roll around in our minds.
For example, meditating on life-giving scriptures, repeatedly, will create a new pathway in our minds. Every time we choose to think on them and put them before our eyes, the path is becoming more established. In time, these will become our default setting, and the circumstances of life will not derail us. Our response will be what we have been meditating on – the word of God.
Here are some examples of life-giving scriptures that will change the landscape of our minds.
Jesus Himself is my peace. Ephesians 2:14
He is not the author of confusion but of peace. 1 Corinthians 14:33
I have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16
I will reign in this life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17
He anoints my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:5-6
By His stripes I was healed. 1 Peter 2:24
Now thanks be to God who always leads me in triumph (a great victory or achievement) in Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14
I get to win in this life because He always leads me into the victory! And a child of God hears the voice of his Shepherd and follows Him. He leads and we follow. In fact, this needs to be a confession for some of you. “I hear my Shepherd’s voice, and I follow Him.” “The voice of the stranger I will not follow.” (See John chapter 10).
What do you want to say you accomplished in this season you are in? Ponder this question. Then ask yourself, how do you need to change your thinking to align with the Lord’s way of thinking, to get there. Ask Him to show you the scriptures and start to feed on them. Soul prosperity will lead to life prosperity.