Simply Want

It is not hard to find things which cost a great deal of money which we may believe we would like to have or even think we need. There are homes all over the world which cost millions of dollars. There are automobiles of all shapes and sizes which are the price of a small home. There are gadgets created every day that can make life easier, so they say, but do they really?

These things in life were created to make life easier but not for us to depend on and desire so we can have more than someone else. These things in life were given to us by God and we are to use them for Him if He provides these things to us. We only really need the basics in life to survive and if we are blessed with anything more than the basics, we should use all we have for God giving Him the glory along the way.

Luke 12:31 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.”

The basics in life have not really changed. We still have the same basic needs as the people did thousands of years ago. However, due to technology and inventions, our basic needs have been accommodated much more conveniently making our desire stronger to have what the world calls the good things in life. But the good things in life aren’t really the things of the world. We need to realize that and understand we can’t depend on conveniences all of our lives.

There are times when our conveniences are interrupted. Sometimes we lose power due to a storm. Sometimes we lose transportation due to a breakdown. Sometimes we lose cell phone service or our cable may go out for a bit. When these things happen, we feel as if we have lost something we may have never really needed. When these things happen, instead of getting upset, we should be grateful for what we had and understand God has a reason for the interruptions in life.

After struggling with finances and issues which can make us inconvenienced for a while, we should learn to appreciate the things in life. We should know what things we really need to have to survive and what things are not so important. We don’t need television, phone service with Internet or even power to really survive. People survived with a lot less many years ago. We need to be sure we simply want what God wants us to have and be grateful to Him for whatever He gives us.

Nonetheless, we have all these conveniences in life. It is important we use them in a way that is pleasing to God rather than using them to meet our selfish desires. When we use the things for God’s glory that He provides to us, we can be sure we are doing what He wants us to do with what He has given us. We have none of the things we have due to our own actions. God gives us all we do have and He can take it away in a heartbeat.

Look at the story about Job. He had it all. He had a good family, friends and even the things of the world. However, little by little, things and people were removed from his life. He struggled and wondered why but he never stopped trusting in God. He knew God was his source of power and He knew God would lead him through his struggles. He simply wanted to please and obey God. And God rewarded him for his obedience.

Job 1:20-22 “Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. He said, ‘I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!’ In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.”

We should simply want the basics in life. We should know God will provide to us what we need when we need it. We should simply want to do God’s will. We see examples of people in the Bible who trusted in God with what little they had. When we realize the things of the world are just tools for us to use to live for God and we don’t really need them to survive, we will be able to focus on what we can do with them to make a difference.