Wants and Needs

Written By Christopher Mentzer

In April I took Erika to a clinic to update her booster shots. Here’s a portion of the conversation we had on the way…

ME: This place I’m taking you gives free booster shots, which means we won’t have to pay for them.

ERIKA: Can we go to McDonalds for lunch today?

ME: No, we don’t have any money to do that.

ERIKA: Well can we go to a McDonalds that’s free?

ME: (floored for a moment) There’s no such thing. You see booster shots are something you need and you can get them for free. McDonalds is a place you want to go. There’s a difference.

Indeed there’s a difference between Wants and Needs. Oftentimes people ask for they WANT more than asking for what they NEED. The reason is that people don’t always know what they want.

Here’s an example, In 1 Samuel 13, King Saul was waiting for Samuel’s arrival and when he didn’t come as anticipated, his people started to become concerned about the Philistines. Saul decided to go ahead and offer the sacrifice because he thought that’s what God wanted. Samuel finally arrived and asked, “11.What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash; 12. therefore said I, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Jehovah: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering. 13. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of Jehovah thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would Jehovah have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.” From here we see that God needs people to obey Him; even if it means waiting just a little bit longer than anticipated.

One of the best portions of a prayer used was this statement:

“Father, you know that things that we want. Give us the things that we need.” Our daily prayers should include this statement often to help stay in line with the scriptures. It’s a matter of contentment. Paul speaks of this in Phil. 4: 11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therein to be content.” A very typical statement by the apostle however, when he wrote this he was in prison! We find this out from verse 22 when he speaks of Caesar’s household. We know from the book of Acts that he wanted to go to Rome and speak to Caesar himself (Acts 25: 21; 27: 1) and that he was already a prisoner.