What Do You Need?

What Do You Need?

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5-6

I was driving down the highway last night when a luxury car whizzed past. I noticed a streak of gleaming white and something else that caught my attention. Emblazoned on its license plate was one simple word: needy. I laughed out loud, appreciating the humor and audacity of such a self-designation. That car made me think about the enormous spread between what we think will make us happy (things like luxury cars) and what really does make us happy.

It’s no secret that human beings are wired for pleasure. It’s what fuels our materialistic instincts. We get a quick rush from buying things. A friend of mine sells expensive laboratory equipment to hospitals. At the end of the day, she says, the purchasing decision is always an emotional one. Hospital employees, it seems, get a kick out of buying the latest, greatest gadgets and machines for labs and operating rooms.

Though it’s natural to enjoy buying things, we all know that such pleasures can become addictive. To keep the rush going, we have to keep buying more stuff. Doing so can empty our souls as well as our wallets, making us dependent on shallow pleasures.

If you doubt this, spend a little time taking inventory of all you own. Maybe your vice is shoes or clothes. Or maybe it’s being up on the latest in technology. Or maybe you think a new car or new decor for your home will make you feel good. But let’s be honest: how many of your possessions have given you anything resembling the peace your heart desires?

Father, thank you for blessing me with more than enough. Please guard my heart against the seductive pleasure of things. Help me to give generously to others, placing my focus where it belongs—on seeking first your Kingdom and not mine.