Meditate: Acts 2:45
Of course, there’s still the little matter of that word “need” that’s causing all the trouble. Forget asking what the meaning of “is” is, what’s really a need?
I need air-take it away and you can measure my life expectancy in seconds.
I need water-turn off the tap and I’ll only last a few days.
Food’s a need, right? A person will starve to death in 6 weeks or so.
Deny me sleep and my physical and mental health will quickly deteriorate.
And depending on where I live there’s shelter and clothing to keep off the wind, rain and snow, or to protect me from the sun.
These are all basic human needs. By the strictest standard, everything else is frosting on the cake.
Now calm down-I’m not saying it’s all that simple…
Where I live there aren’t enough roots and berries to sustain life, hunting’s not an option, and you really don’t want to drink the creek water. Plus, the county has this thing about wanting people to live indoors…
So most of us need jobs. (Know anyone who’s hiring? No, seriously-do you?)
Of course, you’ll need the right clothes, education, tools/equipment…
And to have any job around here, you’re really going to need transportation. There are very few places you can walk to in this area. In fact, if you want to have one of the better paying jobs, you’ll need your own car just to plug into public transportation.
Come to think of it, when all’s said and done, this adds up to what the rest of the world considers a pretty high standard of living. The poor in America have indoor plumbing, air conditioning, color television. Most of our poor are even car owners. Go to India and try explaining how that leaves someone poor.
Now put aside the defensiveness and guilt for a moment and look at this from God’s perspective.
The way we often think about this, it’s like we draw a line with “give” on one end and “need” on the other and we think that we’ll be okay if we just balance ourselves in the right spot along that line.
But it’s not like that at all. It’s not really about giving or needing. I mean, God owns the entire universe, so it’s not like He needs your stuff. He can do anything so it’s not like He can only deliver help through my hands. And God said He’d meet our needs so even that’s covered.
So if it’s not about giving and it’s not about needs, then what’s the big deal?
Jesus said that since God already knows our needs we should make pursuing God’s kingdom our first priority. That means giving freely knowing that it’s only passing through my hands anyway. It’s not going with me.
And it means realizing that need is an opportunity to see God at work instead of some kind of judgment. After all, I’m only passing through. What really counts is being stacked up for me in heaven. Whether this world thinks I “have” or I “need,” it’s all only temporary.
My trust isn’t in my stuff and my God is so much greater than my need.
So… Chase after gold? Dude, where I’m going they dump that stuff on the streets.
- Am I truly pursuing God’s kingdom?
Pray:
Praise: You alone are worthy to receive all praise and honor.
Confess: Your kingdom is only one of many things that I pursue.
Thank: In Jesus, You brought Your kingdom near.
Ask: Point me toward Your kingdom and guide me in Your ways.
Digging Deeper: I Peter 1; Revelation 21:21
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