The Instruction Manual for Power

God bless you. I write training courses for home inspectors. I know how important a good instruction manual is. A good manual explains how that “thing” works. If you don't know how something works (like a tool, a battery-operated drill, or a machine, a car, or a clothes washer and dryer) then you won’t be able to use it properly. You’ll get frustrated. Might even hurt yourself. Someone has to teach you how this thing works. 

Life is complex. Relationships are complex. Dating. Marriage. Raising kids. Doing your job. Running a business. It’s all challenging. And yet, many people try to navigate all of it… without ever consulting a training manual.

So, here’s the main point that I’d love for you to remember: God wrote down His will for your life. Just read the instruction manual for power. The Bible is God’s will in written form. That’s the manual. What does God want for you and me? We don’t have to guess. It tells us exactly how the machinery of life is supposed to work. So, in the next few minutes, let’s read what the manual actually says about life, about you, and about me. Let’s look at what’s written (written thousands of years ago) about what God wants for us… today.

The Scripture — Read the Manual

There’s a lot of confusion about what God wants for us. Does He want us to be sick in order to teach us humility? Does He want us poor in order to make us holy? Does He want us to struggle so we can learn some lessons? I’ve heard many pastors from many churches… with many sincere and passionate opinions and personal interpretations. But we don’t have to take anyone’s word for it, because we can read it for ourselves. Let’s stop guessing and read the manual. It is written. Turn with me to 3 John, chapter 1, verse 2. Let’s read what the word says. 

3 John 1:2: "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

Let that sink in for just a second. 

The very first word — “Beloved.” That’s us. 

If we’ve confessed with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believed in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we are beloved. That’s not a quick, “Hey, there. Sup?” That’s God’s Word… telling you… that you are deeply, deeply loved. Beloved.

The Greek Word Study — What the Manual Really Says 

Now, let’s dig into this verse (3 John 1:2) a little deeper, because the English version doesn’t give us the full picture. If you go to BlueLetterBible.org dive deep into what the Greek words are in this verse. And the Greek can provide a fuller understanding. 

“I wish.” Beloved, I wish above all things…

In Greek, this word is euchomai (pronounced yoo-khom-ahee). This “I wish” isn’t a casual “I wish you well” — like when someone says “have a nice day.” This is actually like a prayer. It’s an earnest request to God. “I wish.” “I wish above all things” means God’s deepest desire — His number one priority for you — is what comes next. 

The word “prosper.” Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper…

The Greek word “prosper” here is euodoō (pronounced yoo-od-oh-oh). It comes from two root words meaning “good” and “a road” or “a journey.” When you put them together, it literally means to have a good journey. To be led along a good path. To succeed. To move forward. God wants your road in life to be a good one — your work, your family, your decisions. “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper…”

The phrase “be in health.” Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health…

The Greek word here is hygiaino (pronounced hoo-gee-ah-ee-no). It’s the root word for our English word hygiene. It means to be sound, to be well, to be whole in body. God’s will for you — written right here in the manual — is physical health and well-being. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health…

So let’s put it all together. God’s earnest prayer is written down. It’s for us to read, believe, confess, and receive it. It is written that God’s prayer, above everything else, is that we have a good journey and that our bodies are healthy and whole. That’s the manufacturer’s intent. That’s what’s written in the manual. 

The Explanation — Breakdowns Are Not the Maker’s Design

Now, breakdowns are not the Maker’s design. Think about a machine. If the instruction manual says the manufacturer of the machine designed it to run smoothly and powerfully, then a breakdown is not the will of the Maker. A flat tire is not a feature. An oil leak or a squeaky wheel is not part of the original design.

Sickness is NOT a gift from God. Poverty is NOT a teaching tool from the Father. Fear is NOT something He handed you to make you stronger. Those are breakdowns. Those are the result of living in this body in this world. 

But the manual tells us… what the Maker intended. And the Maker intended what? (for you and me) Prosperity and health.

And here’s where it connects to the power we talked about in our previous fellowship. Look at 2 Timothy 1:7.

2 Timothy 1:7: "For God hath not given us the spirit of FEAR; but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of a SOUND MIND."

God didn’t give you fear. He gave you power. He gave you love. He gave you a sound mind. That’s what’s written… in the manual. If the manual says the machine comes equipped with power, love, and a sound mind, then fear, doubt, and confusion are not factory-installed. Those came from somewhere else.

God wrote down His will for our lives. We just need to read the manual. And the manual says: we were designed to prosper, to be healthy, and to operate with power, love, and a sound mind. That’s what the Word says. The Word says what it means, and means what it says. 

The Application — How to Fix the Machine

So if the manual tells us how the machine is supposed to run, how do we fix it when it’s not running right? That’s a great question. And the Word has the answer. Please turn to Romans 12:2.

Romans 12:2: "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

How do we fix the machine? We renew our minds. That’s the repair process. Start with the mind, and the body will follow. We take out the old, faulty information the world tries to install in our minds — the fear, the doubt, the guilt, the confusion, the suffering, the sin, the “you’re not good enough” thinking — and we replace it with what the Word ACTUALLY says.

• The world says you’re on your own. The manual says God is with you (John 14:18).

• The world says be afraid. The manual says you have power (John 14:27).

• The world says you’ll never be good enough. The manual says you are beloved (John 16:27).

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may PROVE what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Just look at the result of renewing your mind to the Word: “THAT ye may PROVE what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” The word “prove” means to test, genuinely examine, to scrutinize (to see whether a thing is worthy or not). When you align your thinking with the ultimate manual for living, you don’t just know God’s will — you begin to think like it. You start to confess it. You walk in it. You talk like it. You live like you're powerful, prosperous, healthy, and loved. Your life… becomes the living proof that the manual works.

Your Assignment This Week

Here’s what I encourage you to do this week. Pick one of these three scriptures – 3 John 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:7, or Romans 12:2 – and read it every day. Just one. Read it out loud if you’d like. Say it like you believe it (because we should). It’s what the Maker wrote… for us.

When FEAR shows up, read the manual. When DOUBT creeps in, read the manual. When the world tells you that God doesn’t care about your HEALTH or your SUCCESS, read the manual.

Summary

God wrote down His will for your life. 

The greatest secret is that God isn’t hiding His will from you. There’s no mystery here. It is written. It’s written that God wants you to prosper. He wants you healthy. He gave you power, love, and a sound mind. And when you renew your mind with His Word, you begin to live it.

We are beloved. Let’s read the Word, believe what it says, and watch our lives transform. 

Amen?