Wanting and Needing
Satisfying basic needs doesn’t seem to be enough to make us feel truly satisfied. What used to satisfy us yesterday no longer satisfies us today. It is like small children with their toys: they quickly lose interest and turn to something newer.
Why do we lose satisfaction so easily? I think we are confusing what we want with what we need. There are many things that I want, but only a few that I really need. Sometimes I have found myself thinking that I ‘need’ this or that. But do I really need it? What I really need is oxygen; the latest electronic device that I want is not a need, but a whim.
We could discuss what things are considered our needs, but I believe that we have only one basic need; the other ones are just cravings.
Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’…your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. – Matthew 6: 31-33
Our needs are only satisfied when we give God the first place. After all, it was He who made us and the universe in which we live. Trying to satisfy our lives without giving God the first place is like trying to cover the Grand Canyon with a spoonful of soil. Our effort alone is simply not enough.
We already know the results of satisfying our needs based on what we want: we consume food that affects our health, we spend in a way that affects our finances, we wrap ourselves in relationships that affect our families, etc. We only achieve fleeting satisfaction, and over time we end up anxious trying to find satisfaction, and depressed because we can’t find it.
Let’s stop practicing the things that we already know won’t work. It’s time to change the strategy. It’s not about what you want, it’s about what you need, and what you need is God.
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