Needs are defined as anything that fits into God's plan for us, and He promises to provide for all of our needs, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19. As He did in the desert, "And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan." Ex. 16:35. As Jesus promised us, "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" Matt. 6:25-26. His plan includes each of us working to provide for the needs of others, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Phil. 2:4-5, thus fulfilling the needs of all. This is the selfless calling He draws us to. When we choose to ignore the needs of others and rather satisfy our wants, it leads to the vain glory Jesus warned us about.
When we do focus on our wants, they grow ever larger until one day, we no longer care about the needs of others, and in fact, we can no longer see them. Our wants begin to take over our lives, and we begin to lose sight of our needs. These wants become addictions without end or reward. And, since we have chosen not to be part of a community that shares and cares, our needs suffer. Like our need for enough sleep to function correctly because without it, we are in a fog and unable to see the correct choices before us. Like our need to eat a nourishing diet, without which we starve our cells of the nutrients they need to fulfill the plan He established when He created our individual DNA. Like our need to stay connected to our Creator and the only way to avoid the destructive cycle of wants is to abide in Him, "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." Jn. 5:19. The self-fulfilling process of chasing our wants leads to death, so He asks us to instead choose life, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:" Deut. 30:19.
This is His plan. This is how it all works together for our good, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Rom. 8:28. Thus, He leads us to care and share instead of the debilitating cycle of selfish desires, wants without end.
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