Need or Greed — Morning Devotions

Subscribe to the ‘Morning Devotions’ Podcast

Transcript

If I were to ask you what you need, my guess is you’d have quite a long list. There are basic things we all need like fresh air, somewhere to sleep, food, job that pays an income, water, etc. The list goes on. We do have these sort of basic needs, and I think we have a way of confusing need and greed.

In 1890, a sociologist did a study and asked Americans what they thought were the basic needs of life. What are the absolute bare minimum necessities you felt you had to have in order to survive? Now this was back in 1890, and the study revealed that Americans thought there were 16 basic things that they needed in order to survive.

Well, less than 100 years later, another survey was taken, and they say Americans now have 98 things in order to survive. So our wants have a way of being exaggerated into needs. When Mikhail Gorbachev, the former president of the Soviet Union, was asked what the world needs, he said, what we need is star peace and not star wars. Now we know what he was meaning there.

When Ruth Stafford Peale, she was the wife of the Dr Norman Vincent Peale, when she was asked the same question, what does the world need, she said, find a need and fill it. It’s quite different, isn’t it, find a need and fill it.

We get confused about our own needs and the needs of others, but I want to suggest today that God can and does provide for all our needs.

Now it sounds simple. If we could only believe that life would take on a whole new meaning because it was the apostle Paul who said, My God shall supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. That’s from Philippians 4:19. In fact, I think that’s one of the most inspiring verses in the Bible. Here is a God who has no limitations, no restrictions, and in fact, he can give us whatever we need.

Not what we want, but what we need, and our problem is we think we know what we need, like the bumper sticker I heard of that said, get out of my way, I can’t stop. I won’t be happy until I shop. Well, the pleasures of shopping won’t go on forever. It’s God who promises to meet our needs, and in Him we find fulfilment.

So you may think that he hasn’t provided for you, you might say, well, you know, what’s going on? Can I really count on the promises of God? And our problem is our view of life is somewhat one way. We look for more and more instead of being content, and we think we need to have more if we’re going to be happy and the Bible says in James 4:3, even when you do ask, you don’t get it because your whole motive is wrong. You only want only what will give you pleasure. That’s James 4:3.

Hope 103.2 is proudly supported by

So God doesn’t give us more if our motive is to accumulate more for our own selfish pleasures. God is more interested in your character than your comfort. He’s waiting and watching your attitude. In 1 Timothy 6:6 in the New Testament says, true religion with contentment is great wealth. So there you are. True religion with contentment is great wealth. And if you’re a follower of Jesus Christ and you’re content, well, it doesn’t get any better than that. There’s no greater wealth than that.

The Bible says we didn’t bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. 1 Timothy 6:7. Babies, they’re not born with an awful lot. They don’t come into the world with car keys and stereos and stuff, and when you leave this world, you don’t take very much with you either. So the things that you have on earth are just for the 80 or 90 years that you’re here, and they’re not that important. We need to learn to be content.

I think we need to learn what makes you discontent: comparing. It’s stupid to compare. There’s always someone that’s smarter, richer, or better looking than you, so don’t compare. Don’t be like Ted Turner, who said, if I sit down and say I’ve only got $10 billion and Bill Gates has $100 billion I feel like I’m a complete failure in life. That’s what he said. So don’t be like him. Don’t compare. God won’t give you more until you’re content with what you have. If you’re not content with what you’ve got, I think it shows that your priorities are wrong and that you’re focusing too much on your own possessions.

God says to us, I won’t give you more because you won’t be able to handle what I want to give you. So if you’re not content, you’ll never be happy.

Let’s Pray

Well, Heavenly Father, thank you for this understanding of what do I really need. Lord, there’s not much I need, really, but thank you that in you I can find all I need for a purpose, purposeful and a happy life. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Feature image: Canva