Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul”
(3 John 2 ESV)
Are you feeling overwhelmed or stressed out? Experience peace by meditating on this weeks devotional scriptures. https://hope14me.org/weekly-devotion/
We naturally avoid uncomfortable, unfamiliar, or awkward situations. But just because something doesn’t come easily for us doesn’t mean we should avoid it. When it comes to evaluating our souls, I find that a lot of people get uncomfortable. They feel awkward and anxious when faced with authentic introspection. Opening up to themselves or others about what is out of alignment on the inside can sound terrifying. So they avoid soul-searching at any cost.
How about you? When was the last time you looked at the state of your soul? How comfortable are you with asking thoughtful, revealing questions about the health of your inner self?
God wants to give us peace, stability, joy, and hope beyond what we could imagine. For that to take place, we have to get comfortable with awkward questions. Questions about our feelings, our thoughts, our fears, our motives, and our needs. Questions that are hard to answer not just because the answers are elusive, but because the answers are embarrassing. Questions that reveal what is hurting us and hindering us, even if might take some gut-level courage to deal with what we discover.
The apostle John wrote this to one of his close friends: “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul” (3 John 2 ESV). I believe he was expressing God’s heart for each of us: that our souls would be happy, healthy, and whole.
God is committed not just to our happiness—which is notoriously fleeting and subjective—but to our wellbeing. And that wellbeing starts on the inside. So don’t be too afraid, too busy, or even too selfless to start paying attention to your soul. You’ll be glad you did.
Today’s Action: Are you comfortable talking with other people about your feelings, hurts, dreams, and desires? If not, why do you think it’s difficult for you?
Why do you think people often wait until their souls are in crisis mode before they think about them? Do you tend to do this?
Take a moment to think about the state of the inner you. What are three specific fears, feelings, assumptions, or insecurities that could be affecting you?
Today’s Prayer: Father God, I am so sorry that I’ve given my inadequacies more attention than Your desire. I want to be free of the belief that I’m an imposter. I choose to believe that I am Your masterpiece. I know that it is Your desire that I am healthy and well in my soul and every part of my life. Draw it all into alignment with Your Word and Your will. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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