11th January

How are you?

The apostel John starts his letter to Gaius with following words: "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."

In normal relationships of live concern for health and for business takes the first place. Especially at the beginning of a new year we will not meet somebody without asking: ".How are you?". We will take time to be interested in his problems and we will listen to him who is talking about his problems. The apostle is doing a good job but he is also concerned of the spiritual health of his friend Gaius. Other people told John that Gaius walks in truth and that his soul is prospering.

Let us not be slaves of polite expression and not only be concerned about the family's health. Are we concerned about their soul? The author of Psalm 142 said: No-one is concerned for me, no-one cares for my life (v. 4). Are we concerned enough about the spiritual health of our brothers in faith? We need to know how to ask this question but the important thing is that we know that they are walking in truth." We can have joy or affliction depending on whether things are going well with us. Walking in truth means that our life is according to the solid teaching of the Bible. Walking in truth gives real joy.