3 John 2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
There is an erroneous teaching that has made its way into the body of Christ that says that God wants His children to be poor and sick. Now that is not really taught openly, but it is pretty much taught by example. I have heard people who should know better say things that let me know that they really don’t believe that God wants them well. Many try to explain away sickness and poverty by saying that they are suffering for the Lord and that it helps keep them humble.
Well, the Bible does not in any way teach that this is God’s way of doing that. Yes, he wants us to be humble all right, but he wants it to come from our heart as an act of our will and not from having to beat us into humility with sickness and poverty. He wants us to choose that way in gratitude for all that He has done for us. He wants His blessing and grace to lead us to worship Him and to be thankful to Him, as we remember that we didn’t earn them or deserve them, they were simply given in grace by Him.
If you will notice, there is no doubt here what John is saying. He says that first and foremost, he wants to see the saints of God prosper and be in good health. Now I can hear some saying here that this is just John speaking, that this is coming out of his own heart and desire. If it were me saying this, you might be right. But, if you believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, then you have to believe that this is not just John, but that it is the heart of God being revealed as the Holy Spirit oversees this writing. If this is not from God, then you will have to say that the Bible is not true here and therefore may not be true in other places too. The whole integrity of the Bible is at stake here, and not just the Bible, but God’s integrity is also at stake. He said that this is His word and that He cannot lie. God wants you to prosper and be in health.