When I read this post by Paul Tripp it spoke to me on so many levels. I think it is also very appropriate for where our church body is, as we are determining a new place to worship. I hope this helps you and speaks to your heart as it did mine.
Defining Your Needs
I’ve been spending some time reflecting on Jesus’ teaching from
Matthew 6. I’ve laid out 3 Treasure Principles; I’ve explained the Exclusivity of Treasure Pursuit; and I’ve
discussed some applications of Earth-Bound Parenting. Today I want to
talk about the word “need” found in verse 32.
“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or
‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all
these things, and your
heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (Matthew
6:31-32, ESV, emphasis mine)
DEFINING NEED
I would argue that Jesus is teaching that we're not responsible
for defining our own needs. Now, let's be honest - this doesn't make sense to
us.
Think about it. Would you ever let a stranger go to the
supermarket and purchase your groceries; let a relative select your outfit for
the day; let a colleague plan your family vacation? Of course not: "They don't know what I need to
eat or what I need to wear or what I need to enjoy my vacation."
Here's an important principle to remember: you and I struggle to give up control
because we think no one else knows what we need more than we do.
Listening to the surrounding culture doesn’t help, either.
Everywhere you turn you’ll find propaganda urging you to “chase after your
dream” or “do what you want” or “don’t let anyone tell you no.” You're
constantly bombarded with the ideology that no one knows you better than you
know you.
Jesus counters this worldly ideology with heavenly theology: only God knows what you truly need.
EXISTENCE-BASED NEEDS
Now, I need to include a quick disclaimer. I'm not talking about
the daily physical needs that are essential for human existence, like eating,
drinking, sleeping, and adjusting your wardrobe to the climate so you don't
overheat or freeze to death. Those are "existence-based" needs, and
God has made you a steward over your body (Romans 12:1 and 1 Corinthians 6:15),
so it's biblical that you take responsibility for them.
I'm talking about things - they can be physical, emotional and/or
spiritual - that you tell yourself you "need" to be happy. This could
be anything: increased income, a safer neighborhood, a more respectful spouse
or child, a church that loves your ministry, and so on. You fill in the blank:
"If only I had _______, my life would be better."
GOD KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED
Even though it will be a struggle, I want to encourage you to
willingly and joyfully let go of the responsibility of defining your needs.
Here are three reasons that should help:
1. God is Creator
You're not just handing over responsibility to your spouse or any
old neighbor; the Creator of the universe is responsible for all your needs.
Remember, God created us; we didn’t create us. It’s fundamental Sunday school
theology, but it makes all the difference.
If you were an inventor and you came up with an innovative and
complex piece of machinery, no one would know the project better than you. You
could make it do things no one else could do, and you would know exactly what
it needs to operate. After all, you built it from scratch.
The same is true with God; as Creator, he knows everything about
your inner workings - physically, emotionally, and spiritually - so he knows
exactly what you need. It just doesn’t make logical sense for a piece of
creation to define its own needs over the Creator.
2. God is Omniscient
God not only knows everything about you, but he knows everything
about everything. He knows what the weather will be, how the stock market will
ebb and flow, and every other miniscule detail of the universe that will impact
your life.
You can't predict the next five minutes. And not only that, you
and I tend to live for the gratification of the here and now. How warped does
that make our perspective? If the goal is to get immediate pleasure, we’re
going to pass up on a better life tomorrow just to get instant (and lesser)
pleasure today.
3. God is Omnipotent
God is all-powerful; you can barely control your hair in the
morning! So, even if you were omniscient and knew what you needed, you wouldn't
have the power to provide it for yourself.
By giving God the responsibility of defining your needs, you're
placing your life in good hands. Not only does he know everything about you and
everything about this world, but he's able to control it and provide exactly
what you need in the exact moment when you need it.
HANDING OVER RESPONSIBILITY
Hopefully by this point you've noticed a theological mistake in my
argument: since when is it human right to give anything over to God? Good
observation: It was
never, nor will it ever be, our responsibility to define our needs.
But that doesn't mean you and I will still try. We'll write up a
shopping list of things we "need" to be happy, and when that list
isn't met in a timely fashion, we'll be irritated, angry or depressed.
Jesus offers a much better way. He's encouraging us to give up
control and let our soul be at peace, resting in the Heavenly Father.
God is creator; he knows how you operate. God is omniscient; he
knows exactly what today and tomorrow hold. God is omnipotent; he can control
every microbe of the universe. And on top of all those things, God is good.
"He will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in
Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) All you need is the evidence of the
Cross to know that God will meet your needs, for his glory and your good.
