Healthy Soul by Roger Thomas

Prescription for a Healthy Soul
Roger Thomas
3 John 1:1-1:3
June 4, 2006

John's prayer for his friend Gaius raises an important question. How is the health of your soul? What if our bodies were in the same condition as our souls? What if we paid as much attention to the condition of our bodies that we do to our souls?

You do realize the important of your soul's health? Jesus put it bluntly when he said, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul" (Mk 8:36-37). The Bible comes to the logical conclusion. "Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Tim 4:7-8). How is your soul getting along? Had a check up lately? Is it healthy and strong? What if your physical condition were only as strong as the health of your soul?

Remember the Rich Fool? He had everything going for him until God said, "This night your soul shall be required of you."

What does a healthy soul look like? What does it take to have a healthy soul? John provides some hints in his discussion of Gaius. In the first part of the book, John speaks of Gaius knowing the truth, walking in the truth, and working together in the truth. Those three expressions reflect three requirements for a healthy soul.

Healthy souls, like healthy bodies, require:

Proper Nutrition. You are what you eat. That must be why I can see so many donuts and Twinkies this morning. Preachers aren't exempt from this principle. I don't how many times somebody has told me this true story. I would probably be offended if it didn't come from Everett Griggs. Who could ever get offended at Everett? Several years ago a carload of our guys was headed for the Kiamichi Men's Clinic in southeastern Oklahoma. Several thousand men would camp out for a week listening to great preaching and singing. Gale Miller, Bob Leist, and a couple other guys were traveling together. Everett was in the back seat not saying a word, minding his own business, probably asleep. All of the sudden Everett opens his eyes, lifts ... ---------www.areeb.org-------