Simplicity

I haven’t left my house in 11 days. I don’t know that I have ever been house bound in my life for 11 days. I was snowed in for 5 days during Winter Storm Atlas in 2013, but even then I trekked to visit my parents and neighbors.

During this 11 days I have discovered the remarkable contrast between “wants” and “needs”. In being stuck at home, unable to fulfill my every whim, I have discovered how much of my life was consumed by wants and I’m thankful to have had my eyes opened!

Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

God is faithful! Our needs have been and will continue to be met. He gave me the wisdom to prepare in advance for this time of being home and has provided through the help of others everything else. Around the world He continues to supply for the needs of His people with the kindness of a stranger or the generosity of a friend. He may even choose to supply through miracle and send the ravens-nothing is too difficult for Him (1 Kings 17:6). When we put our hope in Him we can trust that He will supply our needs because He tells us he will!

Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

I look back at the hustle and bustle of my life before all of this and I realize that so much my time was dedicated to “wants”. After a morning of homeschooling I was always eager to get out of the house and usually ended up shopping in the afternoon. This desire to “go” and “do” had very little to do with any true need. I have a hard time sitting still and shopping had become the antidote for an excuse to be “busy”. This “want” was often a waste of money and almost always a waste of time. When it comes to wants vs needs it’s nearly always about filling a void or trying to somehow feel secure in a time of insecurity, but nothing you can buy that, only God call fill that space.

No one needs 60 rolls of toilet paper or six month supply of food for a few weeks of self-isolation, but unfortunately we see panic buying stripping the shelves around the world. We want to feel secure, and it’s OK to desire to feel secure but no supply or luxury will secure us. The only security that we can rely on is God, He should be our hearts desire. We need Him and we should absolutely WANT more and more of Him!

We are called the hunger and thirst for God. Jesus is the only one who can satisfy our deepest longings. I pray that when life returns to some form of normal that I will not go back to old ways. I will remember who supplies all of my needs! I pray that He is my only source of wanting, because He is truly all that I need.

(Written March 31, 2020)