Who is your source to do life? To do your marriage? To parent? To do your job? To be a friend?
Is it your spouse? Is it your significant other? Is it a friend, parent, child, or grandchild? Or is it yourself?
We often forget we humans in our humanness are weak, dependent people. Some of us are weak, and we know it. Others of us are weak, and we don’t know it. And this latter group may be the weakest and most helpless of all.
Jesus said,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3 NASB
In another version:
God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Matthew 5:3 NLT
Who are the “poor in spirit”? Could they be those who are weak and dependent, and they know it?
And could it be that this knowing our weakness and helplessness puts us on the threshold of experiencing the Kingdom of God? Why? Because in our weakness, we can embrace the “Meeter” of our deepest needs … God! King Jesus! The Spirit of the Living God!
Our Creator God created man and woman needy and dependent right from the start… why? So we humans would depend on HIM to meet all our needs. He knows that He Himself is the ONLY ONE who can meet the deepest needs of the human heart.
I was reading through a chapter in a study I have been doing with my online ZOOM Bible class. And in the chapter entitled, “Needs of Humanity,” the authors point out some of those unique needs that God created Adam and Eve to have, things like respect, love, acceptance, adequacy, etc for Adam and love, respect, tenderness, acceptance, etc. for Eve.
Then they ask the following questions:
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What did Adam need from Eve?
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What did Eve need from Adam?
The answer?
Nothing!
That’s right, NOTHING!
Why? Because before the Fall, Adam and Eve depended on their Creator God to meet their deepest needs. They had no expectations that their needs would be met by the other person until they chose independence from God. All of a sudden, they had to be their own need-meeter and figure out their own way to get their needs met.
Then the expectations began and conflict and discord took over relationships. Men and women began to expect each other to meet their deepest needs. In other words, instead of the one true God as their “Need Meeter,” lesser “gods” came into view — spouses, friends, children, grandchildren, family, work, parenting, possessions, etc.
But only in Christ, can we answer that question the same way.
What do we need from that other person? that particular situation?
NOTHING!
Because “Christ in us” is the ONLY ONE who can meet our deepest needs.
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
Colossians 2:9-10 ESV
So my friend, what about you? What/who are you looking to meet your deepest need for unconditional love, acceptance, worth/value, and security?
Look to HIM! And let others in your life “off the hook.” Then you can receive everything that others and life offer you by the grace of God as free gifts.
And let yourself “off the hook,” no matter what all the others around you may expect from you. You were never meant to be their deepest need-meeter. Release them to God for that! But then ask the Lord what you can freely give to that other person out of love and from God’s life in you and through you.
I’ll share a little thought with you that the Lord gave me years ago when I was struggling with all this…
Love isn’t love unless it’s freely given!
So expect all from God.
Receive all as free gifts from His hand.
And give freely from the life of the Loving God within you.
Amen.
Because I am in Christ…
I Am Loved
I am a child of God-John 1:12
I am beloved-Romans 9:25
I am chosen-Colossians 3:12
I am loved by God as much as Jesus is-John 17:23, 26 I am Jesus’s friend-John 15:15
I am inseparable from God’s love-Romans 8:37-39
I Am Acceptable
I am accepted by God-Romans 15:7
I am righteous-2 Corinthians 5:21
I am a saint-1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1 (NASB) I am not condemned-Romans 8:1
I am completely forgiven-Colossians 2:13
I am holy and blameless-Ephesians 1:4
I Am Valuable
I am God’s masterpiece-Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) I am adopted-Ephesians 1:5
I am God’s treasure-Matthew 13:44
I am God’s pearl-Matthew 13:45-46
I am a new creation-2 Corinthians 5:17
I am designed by God-Psalm 139:13-16
I Am Secure
I am more than a conqueror-Romans 8:37
I am complete in Christ-Colossians 2:10
I am safe in Christ-Colossians 3:3-4
I am seated in the heavenly realms-Ephesians 2:6 I am eternally in Christ-John 10:28
I am united with Christ-1 Corinthians 6:17
(From God’s Best-Kept Secret: Christianity Is Easier Than You Think by Mark Maulding)
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on A Branch in the Vine
Featured Image by Alex538 from Pixabay
