Who, or what is it that you need in your life to make you feel alive? We are not singularized individuals so to speak, we are communal, Eve was not made only for the purpose of the continuation of the species, or as just a help meet, she was made because we need others in our lives, the question is to what extent. We do not know for how long Adam had only the Lord God as a companion, we know only that, “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” (Gen. 2:18) And so by inference, the closest person that a man needs in this life is his wife. Notwithstanding the relationship course they have chosen to establish and follow; no other should be closer to us within the human race than our spouse. If you would care to consider this individual a need, so be it, but every God-fearing man’s wife knows full well that she is second in the life of her husband, second only to God, but not placed first in the order of affections, of his devotion, of his need. A woman who loves the Lord would have it no other way, her first priority is also her relationship with her Lord, but she, as the man does, understands full well who is to come immediately after Christ.
Most generally, needs are placed upon those whom we see as useful to us, whether it be in the spiritual or the natural realm, rarely does anyone serve another who is of no value to them. Yet we are communal, and so at times we can mistake needs for selfish desires, we seek fulfilment outside of Christ. To these individuals, the temporary is the draw, emotions are their master, selfish ambition is the driving force behind the actions, need has been transformed into acceptance, and this acceptance instills pride. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exo. 20:3) Needs, true needs, have in most cases, been mistaken today, wants are considered a need, the continuance, and the accumulation of more, have become todays needs. As a whole, we seek what we truly do not need.
I often wonder, when individuals read in Phil. 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,” exactly what needs do they have in mind, if in fact love is an action, then would not those needs be supplied by the actions of the Lord God, but where then does this leave the feelings, the emotional states that rule the lives of many of the people on this planet, saved and unsaved. Do you need to feel loved, useful, happy, are these also as necessary as food and water.
Look how much we have changed, at least in the largest view, when our Lord told those in attendance that if they would first seek first the kingdom of God, (Matt.6:33) what was it they were in need of, food and clothing. How many people have you met lately, saved or lost, that are content with just these two items, how many would be content eating the same food and wearing the same clothes every day. We want, and we begin to want so badly that we begin to call those wants needs. We need to feel loved, or at least noticed, as much as we need the air we breathe, as much as we need food and raiment. No one can doubt the necessity of an emotionally stable life, daily we can easily observe the condition of many of those who are not.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3) Perfect peace means calm assurance, perfect peace knows no wants, has no needs left to fulfill, perfect peace can be found on a dunghill when one has lost everything and is covered in sores. If you are a born-again believer, if you have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord, than at the cross you received everything that you will ever need, they are not being held back from you, waiting until you gradually grow into a mature believer, the Holy Spirit of God is not doled out slowly over a period of time upon the children of God, all you will ever need is found in God through Jesus Christ. We have been made alive in Him, if He decides to burden you with the riches of the world or a frail, sickly body, you will have everything you need because you have Jesus Christ as Lord.
Many of our supposed needs are manufactured within our minds, they are nothing more than fanciful wants, emotion-based items or circumstances we believe will make our lives better, more tolerable. Praise God for the invalid, the bedridden or wheelchair bound individual who knows these words to be true, who faces the difficulties of this short life each and every day, and does so with the full assurance that God Almighty will supply all of his needs, and continues to do so at every moment. There was a saying many years ago that was popular among evangelicals, “There but for the grace of God go I.” Do you need to be that person that those who spoke these words were looking at to truly know what the word need means.
No matter where you are in this life know this, this life you now live is coming to an end, the man who can keep his eye on the prize, (Phil. 3:14) the man who seeks the face of God knows what the word need means, it has only one answer, one fulfilment, it is Jesus Christ Himself, in Him is fulness of life, (Psalm 16:11) in Him you will find all you need, all else is secondary.
