The secret

I tend to look to people to meet my needs...for approval, for acceptance, even for self worth and identity. (It sounds so foolish and embarrassing to write this out, in actual words, but if I'm honest, I've struggled with this every day of my life...eek). I can't believe I'm 44 and still struggling with this!

Oh and I also look to things to meet my needs...for provision, protection, fun, and excitement. But to look to these things is to struggle, since...

Only. God. can meet my needs. That's it. God is the only person or thing in the universe who can actually, physically, spiritually, everything-ally FILL those holes of need, in my body, soul, and spirit.

"Every good thing and every perfect gift is from Above..."

Because He is THE only good in the universe. The only Source of anything good, beautiful, true, or right.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4.19

I think we tend to focus on the needs part of this verse. Will God really supply all our needs? Yes, He will. Yesssss, He willllll, we say through clenched teeth of sheer faith sometimes.

But yesterday (in the bathroom at the dentist office, of course) the Holy Spirit turned His spotlight on that verse in a new way for me, and suddenly I saw!

GOD will meet all my needs. It's God who meets all my needs. Not friends, not Steve, not kids, not coworkers, not the dental hygienist. Not money or food or natural remedies (hehe) or a clean house (or a better house) or books or a nap or what I really want to be doing right now but instead I'm doing what I need to do.

God meets needs. Only God meets needs. Only God can meet needs.

So. I'm. Free.

I'm....I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Because God's gifts are free! For the asking. And He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and the banks in a thousand cities, and the magic remedy to cure all ills, and the heavenly ice cream that flows down from the mountains of abundance into my hungry mouth and both tastes good AND is good for you, ha.

And YOU are free! (You should be very excited about this. ; ) )

Because I don't have to look to you or depend on you or cling to you or wait for you or control you or manipulate you or figure out how to help you or change you.

I do all that to God instead. Well, the first four anyway. ; )

And now, when it comes to people, I'm free...to give. I'm free...to love. I'm free...to take from God, and soak and savor and slather and splash around in His goodness, His provision, His beauty. And you get the overflow.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

What a way to live! That,  my friends, is

how

I

want

to

LIVE!

So help me, God. ; )

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me." Philippians 4.11-13