It’s Nice to be Wanted, Isn’t It?
(What if those staged smiles in the picture were real?)
Just to wrap up our discussion of the Three Truths we’ve been experiencing, let’s focus today on the question: Do We Really Need Each Other? OK, the obvious answer is “yes”, at least in my opinion, but some would say “we need God only” and we really don’t need others. Well, I am not here to take anything away from our dependence on God, since He is the One who “supplies all our need according to His riches in glory”. Let me be quick to add that God’s delivery systems don’t always involve direct delivery via angels. He could do that if He wanted and does use divine means of delivery, but He also uses human means of delivery to bring the resources to meet our needs. Yes?
Who cooked your breakfast this morning or the last meal you enjoyed before reading this piece? Did God or an angel do it? OK, I know, the person who cooked it may be an “angel” in your eyes, but I am talking about a real angel – from the real heaven. My guess is that a human being did it. Who washed your clothes, fixed your car, cut your lawn, provided clean water to your house, keep electricity flowing,…? You get it? God delivers our food, water, help, energy, and assistance, but many times He uses other human beings. In the same way, doesn’t He supply the resources to meet the needs of others through you? Of course He does. We need each other every day in various ways, but all the while we recognize that the resources for our needs come from God alone. Look at James 1:17 – Every good and perfect gift is from above…
So what’s the point? The point is that God wants to use us to demonstrate His love clearly and powerfully by the ways we meet each other’s needs and even by how we deliver the resources. When you help, cook, mow, repair, move, and otherwise serve others, you are God’s instrument to meet their physical needs at that time. You notice, don’t you, that it’s not just doing the task but how you do the task that matters.
When you do the work, serve, help, and give with a cheerful heart and a humble attitude, you not only meet the physical need but emotional needs, as well. Most of the 52 Week Plan installments deal with emotional needs and how to show love through meeting them. Remember: Acceptance, Affection, Appreciation, Approval, Attention, Comfort, Encouragement, Respect, Security, Support? These are means of being kind to one another and showing tender care.
Meeting the needs of others with love in your heart and kindness in your voice encourages, shows respect, comforts, and helps you enter that person’s world. They may need emotional support more than the meal you cooked. One more thing! When we lovingly meet needs, we open a path for the Good News of Jesus to be introduced. Jesus did it often in His earthly ministry. How many times did he meet a physical need for healing, food, or tax money as an opportunity to show kindness, care, and love on the way to introducing people to His message and kingdom. The order of meeting needs is not set in stone, so meet the need of the moment whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual. I believe God loves it when we as His children love others well and give to meet needs.
We have recently been watching the series “The Chosen” on the life of Jesus Christ. (https://studios.vidangel.com/the-chosen) Watching this and reading the accounts of Jesus’ love for those He served reminds me of how much we need Him and each other. He has given us the “ministry of reconciliation”, but if our hearts are hard and our lives off track, we send a confusing message to those observing our lives.
The Basic Idea: When we live knowing that God supplies the resources for all our need, and He uses us and others to deliver those resources we are in a great position to be used of God to take His love and Good News message to anyone, any where.
As a friend of mine says: I know that everything I need is coming from God’s warehouse, but I don’t always know what truck line He will use to deliver it. (He is so smart.) Let’s be a dependable carrier of God’s resources delivering His love to others. Let’s be open and appreciative of God’s resources being delivered by others to us. Goes both ways.
When we live for Christ and show His love to the world – one person at a time – we are not only needed, but we are actually wanted by others to be part of their lives. And “it’s nice to be wanted, isn’t it?”
Being truly loved and wanted (even needed) could make our smiles really big and really “real”!