All That You Need

Jesus cannot be all that you need until He is all that you want. This is one of those statements that resonated with my spirit as soon as I heard it. Throughout my life, whenever I hear something that really speaks to me, I write in the inside cover of my Bible. For me, this is one of those statements.

When I first heard my pastor say it in church one Sunday, something inside of me jumped and I knew then that it was a “Word” for me at just the right time. God is always on time, isn’t He? The Lord knew that for the last year, through circumstances beyond my control, I have been under great financial duress. It has caused me many sleepless, teeth grinding nights.

The thing about financial hardship is that it can cause folks who normally don’t spend time thinking about what they don’t have, to become consumed so that it becomes predominantly what they dwell on. I have never been one to be concerned with whether I took vacation this year, or if I spend lots on Christmas for my family and friends, or worry that I have no clothes that fit.

But this year, when I could not even pay all of my bills on time, it seemed as if the things that I lacked were screaming at me, torturing me, beginning to take a bitter root in me. I began to desire things that I have never really even put much thought into in the past.

So…when my pastor said, “Jesus cannot be all that you need until He is all that you want”, I knew that God was speaking to me through him. I had begun to “want” things more than I “wanted” Him. Bless God, I work hard and I deserve a vacation and clothes and to be able to pay my bills, don’t I? After all, I don’t spend money foolishly or on things I don’t need. Don’t I deserve to go out to dinner with my husband just once or twice a year? When my son grows 6 inches in a year, doesn’t he deserve new clothes that fit him? These were all things that I was beginning to “want” so desperately.

While focusing on my needs and wants I forgot to focus on Him. I even think that some anger and bitterness began to creep into my heart…not at God, but at circumstances! I forgot to take time out of each day just to fall in love with Him and to seek His presence. One thing that I know about storms is that they always dissipate and the sun always shines again. So, if I must weather a storm, I know that He promises to stay right there with me all the way through it! Knowing that, I can stay focused on how much I desire Him and His closeness…and in that place, He becomes all that I need. Halleluiah, bless God forevermore!

Take heart, dear ones. He is enough to fulfill our wants. His Word says He gives us the desires of our hearts. This doesn’t mean that He provides us with our checklist of things we want. It means, as we spend time with Him, delighting ourselves in His ways and His thoughts, the desires of our hearts come in line with His desires. From our fellowship and time spent with Him, He will plant seeds in us that are His desires for us. Then and only then, does He become everything that we need!