Many times a day I find myself saying the phrase, “I need…” Seriously, you would think I am deprived sometimes. I need… new jeans, a new car, a cup of coffee, a break. So much need. Need and want are 2 very different things. Need and deserve are even further apart on the spectrum.
So in an effort towards thankfulness, and a Reality Check, here is a list of things you and I can live without. And then some thoughts on what we really can’t.
A nice car. Trust me, you don’t need it. My car is for getting me from point A to point B. Now if you have a genuine interest in cars or want to buy a nice car to invest in for safety and long term use, there is nothing wrong with that. But there is also really nothing wrong with driving a less than fabulous car.
A house. Don’t get me wrong, you definitely need a place to live. But if you still live at home, or need to rent right now, I promise it is ok! There is no shame in not owning your own home yet. And for those who do, there is no shame in it being small or old. Also, if it is small or old, there is no shame with it not being “Fixer Upper Chic”. To each his own… and my own has none of the talent of Joanna Gaines.
Clothes, Coffee, Concert tickets, or a plethora of other material things. Guys, we have so much! Having things, even nice things, is not wrong… but do we enjoy them?! Or are we always looking for the next cool thing. It’s totally fine to enjoy your older generation phone, or your jeans from a few seasons ago. Do I really need a new bathing suit or a new coat every season? I really liked the one I had last year. Enjoy what you have. Appreciate it. Really evaluate before you buy something new… Because if you enjoy what you have, do you necessarily need something else?
Time. I have so much time. 24 hours everyday to be exact. Maybe I don’t need more time, I just need to use it better. Or fill it with less. Time is the one thing you can’t get more or less of. So I really need to learn to work with what I’ve got.
But as much as there are things we can do without, some things we really can’t live without. Out of all the things I tell myself I need on a daily basis, there are some really important ones that don’t make the list.
People. Friendships and relationships are so important. In a society that’s increasingly become isolated through social media and self dependence, we need people. We were created to share life. We rely on people more than we ever care to admit. If we weren’t made for relationship, we may as well just have been made to grow up out of the ground not born into a family. If you aren’t allowing yourself to be connected to others, you are greatly missing out on a beautiful part of our purpose.
Somewhere to serve. We need to give back, or we will get so consumed with our own lives, we won’t be able to see straight. Our need to be involved in something bigger than us is embedded deep. Whether it be serving at church, volunteering for an organization, or just helping a neighbor, we are created to be serving. It does not have to be organized, or even recognized. But look for somewhere to serve with your gifts and talents.
To be in the Word and in fellowship. For Christians, we should be involved in a church body. We need to meet together regularly to Worship and receive teaching. If you think you don’t, I will lovingly tell you that you are wrong. To devote yourself to corporate worship and teaching, is to get your eyes off yourself for a minute and join others in looking toward Christ. Personal time in the Word and prayer throughout the week will strengthen and reinforce the work done in our hearts and lives on Sunday morning. They cannot be mutually exclusive. They must work together.
A hobby. I know, one of these things does not look like the other. But we were made to be unique. Our passions and talents are unique to us. So pursuing your interests and talents is just as much acknowledging God as some other things we do that look “more religious”. “Do all things as to the Lord.” Pursue the things that bring you joy. God created us to thrive and explore. He created us to devote our gifts and talents back to Him as an act of worship. That doesn’t just mean the things we do at church. Go hike to set your mind on the beauty of God’s creation. Bike to honor the way God made your body to work. Plan a game of scrimmage basketball to build relationships with other people around you. Create things of beauty because God is also a creator of beauty. Read a book to honor the imagination God created in us. Not everything has to be labeled Christian to be honoring to God and each other.
There are needs and wants in life. It is ok to want. But let us not get our eyes off the things we really need. Let us pursue beauty in life and not in stuff and things.