The Ways of ProsperitySample

 God Wants You to Prosper Emotionally and Physically  

Our God is an emotional God. He experiences all the emotions we do because we were made in His image. God is even described as an emotion: love. He saw fit to give us emotions for our good and His Word has much to say about His desire for our emotional health. God wants to heal our broken hearts and wants us to experience more peace and joy. He also knows that we were created in such a way that our emotions impact our physical health as well (Proverbs 17:22).

Jesus is known as the Word made flesh and demonstrated care for His flesh and body in a way that honored God. He cared for His body with times of rest, meals, and exercise. (It sure seems he walked a lot!) Sometimes, in our spiritual pursuit we tend to forget health for our bodies and emotions are just as much a part of God’s plan for our prosperity. When we do not care for our body, we often cut our life or spiritual walk short with burnout. God made us in such a way that exercise increases endorphins and blood flow to our brain, which helps us to feel good and think more clearly. He also created us in such a way that we need good rest and nourishment to think clearly and respond in ways that honor Him and others. The way we care for our bodies and emotions is a reflection on God.

We cannot fully prosper without being good stewards of our body and emotions. Jesus had emotions and a body, and the key is that he applied intentionality and self-control to both. He maintained them so that they were an asset to His overall prosperity—not a liability. Jesus showed us self-control with how he managed His body during fasting and by valuing rest more than his disciples did at times. Proverbs 16:32 reminds us that when we are fortified with self-control, we become stronger than a warrior who takes an entire city. We can all grow in physical and emotional muscles through use, intention, support, and practice. 

Are your emotions and physical health moving you further from prosperity or closer to it?