“Whenever you think that your needs are not being met, you’re telling the story of the future.” – Byron Katie
“Having needs is not evidence of weakness – it is human.” – Danielle Bernock
“Everyone needs something.” – Bert McCoy
The quotes above by Danielle Bernock and Bert McCoy ease my mind a little when it comes to the subject of needs. I hate getting tagged with the label of “needy”, but needs come with the territory of what it means to be human, and it seems they have a perpetual nature to them – the “something” always evolving and changing throughout the cycle of life.
Byron Katie alludes to this as well – the idea that perpetually changing needs will continue on into the future. There will always be needs within our life that go unmet or have yet to materialize. There is simply no way of avoiding that fact.
But he also suggests that the attitudes surrounding unmet needs can become perpetual as well. When we embrace a mindset of want, a mindset that thinks in terms of lack and insufficiency, we welcome a future that is filled with unhappiness and disappointment.
While looking for quotes surrounding the idea of needs, I found this one that addresses our need for happiness:
A man once told the Buddha, “I want happiness”. The Buddha replied, “First remove ‘I’, that is ego. Then remove ‘want’, that is desire. And now, all you are left with is ‘happiness’.”
I love how this quote concentrates on two issues that surround our needs: Our individual ego and our thoughts behind unmet desires.
An inflated ego can blur the boundaries between what is truly a need and what is actually a desire by definition. We can easily convince ourselves we deserve all we desire – turning wants into needs. When we confuse the two, we evoke unnecessary suffering as the Buddha suggests. Our ability to accurately define a need in our life versus a want or desire is key to our happiness.
When it comes to the matter of unmet needs within your life, how do you define them? Have you made a list of them, prayed about them, or taken the time to contemplate each one – determining where they fall in the spectrum of needs, wants, and desires?
There is nothing wrong with having wants and desires, but remembering the advice given by the Buddha, a strong attachment to them can certainly lead to unhappiness. I know this firsthand! When dreams for your life don’t materialize, the ego has a way of defining them in terms of unmet needs – making you feel like you’ve been cheated out of what is needed to live a satisfying life.
For this list exercise, concentrate on what you have defined as a need within your life. Once you have segregated what is truly a need, look at your list and think about the following concept:
The only thing you need in this life is God.
“And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19 Amplified Bible
“You, LORD, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.” – Psalm 23:1 CEV
“Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. “– Matthew 6:33 GNT
“For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.” – Romans 11:36 NLT
Look at your list and evaluate it against this idea.
He created and continues to sustain you. His sovereign rule is at work each day, protecting you, guiding you, and steering you toward your created purpose. He is the instigator of all wealth, the author and finisher of your faith, and the source of all wisdom, comfort, and peace within your life.
If you have God, you have everything you will ever need my friend 😊
You may look at your list and still see an unmet need – questioning the validity of this idea. But realize that if we serve a God who is all-sufficient, how then can we as His children be insufficient?
The divine timing of an omniscient God is at work addressing any unmet needs! In the meantime, His grace is always sufficient – a grace that is always present and never prejudicial.
“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” – Hebrews 4:16 NIV
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” – 2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV
“His choice is based on his grace, not on what they have done. For if God’s choice were based on what people do, then his grace would not be real grace.” – Romans 11:6 GNT
Given all this my friend, can we ever be in need? Does it change how you look at your list of needs? Does it change how you interpret or define them?
God is continually at work – meeting them all! We have (or will have via divine timing) all we ever need to fulfill all God has in store for us. Like our Father, we are all sufficient to meet any challenge, obstacle, or issue He has sovereignly allowed or placed before us in this life.
He is all we need – both now and forever 😊
God bless!
