What Is Need, as Biblically Defined?
Anonymous #3 spoke of not wanting to "build new rust piles" (what a vivid word picture!). I think we can be helped to avoid that futile and even sinful way of life by considering this thing we call need.
I'd like you to think with me about need: just what is it? Let's sift through all the things we have come to possess or desire or enjoy, and try to discern which of them is really need and which is extra. Let me begin by mentioning some of the Scriptures that help us define need as God does.
In Matthew 6:25-33 Jesus defines food, drink,and clothing as things the Father knows we need (Matthew 6:31, 32). This would seem to sharpen our focus when defining physical/material need (the kind of need I'm talking about here; spiritual need is another matter) to two basic provisions: adequate nutrition and adequate shelter(clothing is a form of shelter) to nourish our bodies' health and protect our bodies from the elements.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 lends support to this narrow definition of need. In this text Paul speaks explicitly of food and clothing as all we need for contentment. Basic and sufficient food to nourish the body and just enough clothes to cover and shelter the body. Nothing more is required. James 2:14-16 also seems to define need in terms of these same two basic provisions.
In Proverbs 30:7-9 the wise man asks God to preserve him from the kind of luxury that tempts us to forget God. Instead he asks simply for "the food that is needful". There's a parallel here to Jesus' encouragment to pray: "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). In essence this prayer says: "Lord we ask for nothing more than today's bread for today's bread is all we need."
All I'm trying to do in mentioning these texts is to help us define physical/material need biblically, as God defines it. And it seems clear that need is to be seen simply as enough food and clothing/roof shelter to keep me alive today (for however many todays God plans to give me). Read that again and give it thought.
To help you gain perspective let me list ten things I have enjoyed, used, and desired in the past 24 hours that I have not needed:
1. Television/internet for entertainment purposes.
2. Sweets (and the second hamburger I had for dinner last evening).
3. A hot shower (or any shower for that matter; a simple gallon bowl of cold water would have sufficed).
4. Sports (I really did not need for my Red Sox to beat the Yankees yet again!)
5. A razor (is it really necessary that I shave?)
6. My easy chair (this is a comfort, not a need).
7. My dog and the dog food she eats (this is a luxury, not a necessity).
8. My chiropractor visit (I really do not need relief from pain, though I do like it).
9. Toothpaste (I could have brushed with water only, and baking soda would do just as good of a job as Crest).
10. The fan blowing on me right now to cool me off.
Stop to think: none of these things is a need as biblically defined. How does this clearer perspective affect your attitudes; your expectations from God; your contentment quotient; your spending plans?
Now what I'd like to ask is that you comment and in your comments help us list many of the things we have enjoyed, desired, and used in the past 24 hours which we may have considered to be necessary or important, but which simply are not.
Go ahead, submit 5-10 suggestions.
I'd like you to think with me about need: just what is it? Let's sift through all the things we have come to possess or desire or enjoy, and try to discern which of them is really need and which is extra. Let me begin by mentioning some of the Scriptures that help us define need as God does.
In Matthew 6:25-33 Jesus defines food, drink,and clothing as things the Father knows we need (Matthew 6:31, 32). This would seem to sharpen our focus when defining physical/material need (the kind of need I'm talking about here; spiritual need is another matter) to two basic provisions: adequate nutrition and adequate shelter(clothing is a form of shelter) to nourish our bodies' health and protect our bodies from the elements.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 lends support to this narrow definition of need. In this text Paul speaks explicitly of food and clothing as all we need for contentment. Basic and sufficient food to nourish the body and just enough clothes to cover and shelter the body. Nothing more is required. James 2:14-16 also seems to define need in terms of these same two basic provisions.
In Proverbs 30:7-9 the wise man asks God to preserve him from the kind of luxury that tempts us to forget God. Instead he asks simply for "the food that is needful". There's a parallel here to Jesus' encouragment to pray: "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). In essence this prayer says: "Lord we ask for nothing more than today's bread for today's bread is all we need."
All I'm trying to do in mentioning these texts is to help us define physical/material need biblically, as God defines it. And it seems clear that need is to be seen simply as enough food and clothing/roof shelter to keep me alive today (for however many todays God plans to give me). Read that again and give it thought.
To help you gain perspective let me list ten things I have enjoyed, used, and desired in the past 24 hours that I have not needed:
1. Television/internet for entertainment purposes.
2. Sweets (and the second hamburger I had for dinner last evening).
3. A hot shower (or any shower for that matter; a simple gallon bowl of cold water would have sufficed).
4. Sports (I really did not need for my Red Sox to beat the Yankees yet again!)
5. A razor (is it really necessary that I shave?)
6. My easy chair (this is a comfort, not a need).
7. My dog and the dog food she eats (this is a luxury, not a necessity).
8. My chiropractor visit (I really do not need relief from pain, though I do like it).
9. Toothpaste (I could have brushed with water only, and baking soda would do just as good of a job as Crest).
10. The fan blowing on me right now to cool me off.
Stop to think: none of these things is a need as biblically defined. How does this clearer perspective affect your attitudes; your expectations from God; your contentment quotient; your spending plans?
Now what I'd like to ask is that you comment and in your comments help us list many of the things we have enjoyed, desired, and used in the past 24 hours which we may have considered to be necessary or important, but which simply are not.
Go ahead, submit 5-10 suggestions.
Labels: Contentment, Materialism, Need, Priorities
posted by Tim Shorey at
9:27 AM
4 Comments:
1. Going out to a diner for a meal.
2. three or four or five cups of coffee in the morning
3. a house that is bigger than we need.
4. a new car
5. a new cell phone
6. Another book
7. McDonald's
8. Movies, Blockbuster
9. Namebrand Shampoos
10. Furniture.
1. Cream and sugar in my coffee.
(interesting note on coffee-- Tim doesn't mention it, Anonymous begins with the "3rd cup" as a non-need, and I simply note that sugar and cream are not necessary... no one is so bold as to list COFFEE).
2. Music in my car.
3. A College Education for my children.
4. The camera and photos.
5. The $39 container of weed killer I just bought! (That was dumb).
And yet: "He giveths us richly all things to enjoy." He is too good!
dishwasher
microwave
dryer
even the washer
aside from the washing machine my Mom had none of these and she did quite well - cealy
Here are a recent 5 for me:
Panera Bread
Starbucks
Basketball Playoffs
Lancaster for the weekend (in process)
Computer use
Tim, excellent and probing thoughts regarding God's perspective on our essential material needs.
I was thinking that it might be really helpful if you would share some guidelines to help us navigate between the unnecessary and the right use of the legitimate and the good.
Thanks. Off to Lancaster---though not necessary.
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