I’ve been under a lot of conviction for how we live as a ‘Christian’ people in North American society lately. Today I was thinking of true needs as opposed to perceived needs, verses wants. For example, our real needs are food, water, shelter, clothing and safety (includes health care). We really, truly don’t need anything else for our bodies to survive.We don’t need dessert, donuts, chips, chocolate, pudding, waffles, pie, cake, cookies, pizza, hot dogs, fried chicken, our favorite foods, or even delicious food, take out, restaurants and fast food…
(Our basic needs are protein, dairy, vegetables, fruit, and grain in the necessary caloric intake determined by your age/ weight/ activity level.)
We don’t need coffee, tea, pop, lattes, juice, hot chocolate, cappuccinos, milk, alcoholic beverages.
(Only reasonably clean water is needed.)
We don’t need a pretty house with curtains, nicely decorated and landscaped, with electronics (tv, computers, ipods and mp3s, radios, cell phones) toys, movies, games, the latest gadgets and lots and lots of stuff inside.
(All we really need is four walls, a ceiling and a floor with warmth or ventilation for appropriate temperatures and perhaps a fridge and stove….)
We don’t need fancy name brand clothes or fashionable outfits and twenty pairs of shoes.(We need to be appropriately covered with reasonable clothes for the local climate, and we can only walk in one pair of shoes at a time.)
Sounds pretty sparse and certainly not an 'enjoyable' life in today's worldly view, yet we really, truly do not ‘need’ more than this. We want more, we are used to more, and we think we can’t live without perceived needs and wants, but the truth is that we could if we had too. North Americans as a whole are self indulgent in almost all areas of our lives but according to the Bible we Christians are not to live like the rest of the world…
and yet…
The early Christians after the baptism of the Holy Spirit lived different lives, so different that people could see it. They shared, they gave, they weren’t extravagant, and their attitudes and love were renowned. They took care of their needs, even sharing that and used perceived needs and wants to help others.
Who wants to try and live that way with me?
Any takers?