Every human is born with basic needs, drives and desires.
We seek for esteem, identity, friendship
and love, to be heard and to achieve, to give and to receive, to be creative
and resposible, and to find meaning and security, as well as having physical
needs and desires met. These are all justifiable needs and require
fulfillment in order for us to live as healthy, neurosis-free beings. When
these needs are not met, our soul – our thoughts, choices and emotions - ends
up underdeveloped, immature, and unhealthy.
As adults, we usually seek fulfillment from relationships,
material possessions and success in life. However, these aspects actually
provide little more than self-satisfaction and self-righteousness in a
humanistic sense. Then when these facets disappoint us, we turn to addictions
and self-defeating behaviors, which further weaken our psyche. We resort to
casual sexual encounters, accumulating possessions, plastic surgery, multiple
college degrees, and bigger and better cars and houses; but these only result
in an eventual broken heart, fading beauty, loss of wealth and power, and
failure to reach our desired goals and aspirations.
Even if we happen to attain our goals, we end up with empty
glory, fleeting happiness and disappointment and bitterness. When we strive to
fill our desires through carnal idolatry and corruption, our soul is troubled
and finds no rest. Conversely, God promises to supply all of our needs
according to His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19). We can
look to Him to bring our life to the point of receiving fulfillment in all of
these legitimate areas of need. Our selfish patterns of behavior soon bow to
the anointing of God’s Spirit within us.
On the other hand, many church people teach us to deny these
legitimate needs as coming from the flesh and fueled by sin. However, this only
occurs when we focus only on meeting our needs to the point of disregarding the
spiritual aspects of our existence. If these human needs consume us or are
high-jacked by Satan’s temptations, we sin (Ephesians 2:2). It is
only when we resort to immoral means to indulge a selfish satisfaction of these
needs, that we cross the line into idolatry. If we submit to God, He fulfills
us and releases us from our habitual sins and the strongholds we allow to take
over our life (Hebrews 12:1; Psalm 89:40; Jeremiah 48:18, 41).
Prayer:
Father God, we thank You for changing our orientation from
self-consciousness to Christ-consciousness. We are no longer slaves to sin
because You exchanged our sin nature for Christ’s righteousness (Romans
6:17; Acts 26:18). You won the battle for us and give us a victorious life
as You manifest Your character in us through the fruit of Your Spirit (Galatians
5:22-23). We give You all the praise and honor and glory due Your
name.
Thought for the Day:
In the battle between good and evil, God is
always the victor. - 1 Samuel 17:47
