A Picture of Soul Prosperity

3 John 1:2 

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

I want to focus on that last segment - 'even as your soul prospers'. What does a prospering soul look like? I want to write a list of characteristics which are not exhaustive but hint at the soul prosperity that apostle John was writing about.

Much has been written about Spiritual vitality but hardly anything exists which points to wholeness in the realm of the soul.

Physical health (as the verse says, 'be in health') and success in life (prosper in all things) are by-products, natural outcomes which naturally emerge from the flow of soul prosperity. The root of it all is the vitality and vivaciousness of the Spiritual life. 

An Image of the Soul prospering  

1)  To be filled with creativity, life and joy
2) Finding Meaning, fulfilment and wisdom in your work,
3) Not to be bound with Legalism, a constant striving to earn approval or to be 'good enough'.
4) Liberty, Freedom,  a sense of being set free to love God and love others in the Love of God. 'For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom'.
5) Having meaningful friendships and mutual supportive relationships - (these are healthy fruitful relationships which do not drain us. Not those in which we only give but never receive from.
6) Having a sense of confidence, significance and esteem, knowing your worth in Christ and being happy in your uniqueness.
7) Knowing your own identity and having a sense of purpose,
8) Developing and growing in your unique knowledge, skills, gifts, talents and loving it, psychologists call this the joy of intrinsic motivation, joy from within from doing what you love, which leads to life and joy in the heart. 'When a desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life'.
9) Not being weighed down with constant worry, anxiety and care
10) Being generous and being a giver to bless others, which is the fruit of love 

All the 10 characteristics above can be said of Christ.

2 Great books I've read about the subject are 

1) Boundaries, which deals with the subject of identity, guarding your own values, talents, time and identity do that you can develop into the person God intended you to be and the art of saying 'no.' The book comes endorsed by major names like apologist Josh Mcdowell, and mega church pastor Bill Hybells. The book is fantastic because it teaches the art of balance between sacrificial service and burnout. And is especially helpful if you're from a culture like mine in which saying no can be equivalent to breaking relationships.

and

2) Changes that heal which deals Grace and Truth - the ingredients for personal growth, Bonding to others (finding and sustaining mutual relationships), sorting out good and bad - self acceptance and not denying reality of evils in ourselves and others and how to deal with and remedy tendencies of perfectionism. Lastly the book deals with gowing into an adult - which deals with how to discharge responsibility, as is fitting of an adult Christian.

The books authors are psychologists which integrate a biblically based spiritual world view, the discipline of psychology and real world experience in the practice of psychiatric counselling in bringing people to wholeness. 

A whole lot of wisdom is shared in the pages and the books are packed to the brim with insight about depression, abandonment issues, developmental (growing up) issues, relationships and how to handle them. Never regretting buying and reading those. Although I buy my books from book depository.com - Amazon links are attached for you to read user reviews which book depository lacks.