Define “need”
Recently I taught a lesson to our High School Youth Group about “Miracles of Provision”. While I was preparing this lesson, doing my research and reading scripture, I found these two verses…
Philippians 4: 19 “19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”
Matthew 6:33 “33 Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
When you read these verses point blank, it can easily be interpreted that simply, God will provide for our needs. That we won’t ever go hungry, or go without water, clothing or shelter. Yet we know of people today, that indeed do go without what we define as a “need”. Working through these verses, searching into the context of each verse (Paul’s letter to the Philipppians, Jesus’s sermon on the mount), I came to the conclusion that there are different definitions of the word “need”.
If you simply google the definition, you’ll come up with “require (something) because it is essential or very important”. I ask this, essential for what? Important for what? I believe the answer to that is a need is (something) essential for living, for life. At first thought, I bet the words food, water or shelter come to mind. That’s what first comes to mind for me. Of course, that’s what we were all taught in school. These things are necessities to life. Well, I beg to differ. With Christ, we are given a different definition of “need”. Need is (something) essential for life. Okay, so it’s the exact same definition, but it means something different entirely. Here’s why…
John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
1 John 5:11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
Looking back on Philippians 4:19 and Matthew 6:33, they make a lot more sense when you realize God’s definition of need. Need is (something) essential to life. Even with enough food, and enough water, and all the shelter, we are dead to our sin. The ultimate miracle of provision has already been gifted to us through grace. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived a perfect life, died our gruesome death, and defeated death three days later when he rose again. That, is our life. Jesus is our one and only need. A need that God has already provided.
