In the second verse of 3 John, the writer, John, is responding to a struggle within a local church. Gaius, who was a part of one of the churches of Asia Minor, is the one to whom this letter is written, and he greets him with a common greeting among his letters, “Beloved friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and that you continually enjoy good health, just as your soul is prospering,” The Passion Translation, TPT.

Self-care has certainly become a trending practice of deliberate and self-initiated personal maintenance in the post-modern world we currently live and exist within. There are many different elements of self-care that are practiced in the world, but the greatest emphasis is placed on physical management: exercise, shopping, manicures and pedicures, vacations, long walks in the park and on the beach, spa treatments, lighting candles and setting up a vibe, Netflix and chill, and different types of therapy, to name a few. These are all necessary and encouraged methods of self-care, and certainly imperative for vitality; but we, as the Body of Christ, must ensure that we are not placing more emphasis on self-care than we are on soul care.

It is my assignment in this season to teach and to impart this most crucial and commanding necessity of soul care to the Body of Christ and the world at large. With so much bitterness, offense, hatred, vitriol, anger, division, and yes—even death being disseminated across the airwaves, we desperately need to bring ourselves back into alignment with the “prospering of our souls” that God intended and purposed for those that are His.

My prayer is that you will hear His voice through the message and mantle of this book and utilize these pertinent principles in your daily pursuit of spiritual growth and inner well-being, wielding yourself as a vessel fit for the use of the Master.