Day 170 - Needless and Wantless
Scripture focus: God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. Psalm 23:1 The Message
Choose the option that best describes you:
a. I have trouble articulating what I need and want. I tend to let other people decide for me.
b. I know what I need and want, and I get very aggravated when other people block my desires.
c. I can differentiate between what I want and what I need. I am pretty good at knowing my part, God's part and the role others play in my self-care.
d. Even though I have a decent handle on my needs and wants, I don't have much hope that either my needs or wants will ever be fulfilled.
If you chose option a - a mature, reasonably healthy person learns how to identify feelings, desires, needs, and even personal preferences. If this option describes you, it might be helpful to try to figure out what's going on inside and make sure that matches what you're portraying on the outside. When our insides and outsides don't match, we feel like life fakers.
If you chose option b - you might struggle with some distorted ideas about what it means to get one's needs met. Maybe you struggle with arrogant entitlement, or perhaps you believe that you don't have what it takes to take care of yourself - and someone else needs to step up to your plate. You might want to explore other ways of viewing your world. Some responsibilities are yours and yours alone; some things only God can do for us. Burdens must be shared with others - and asking for help is not only appropriate, it is essential.
If you chose option c - I imagine you are reasonably content. Your circumstances may stink, but it sounds like you have lots of resources to help you through the rough patches of life. I bet you also are helpful to others.
If you chose option d - you may need to explore the true nature of hope and its place in your life. Fulfillment isn't realized by getting our way all the time. The psalmist declared that God met all his needs. This is a deep theological principle that is worth wrestling over.
I know it's hard for a person who lives with toxic shame to appropriately handle the touchy topic of needs and wants. Trust me. This is important - we'll have a hard time pursuing grand epic adventures if we can't first figure out how to succeed at basic self-care.
Recommended reading: 1 Kings 18 in the morning; Acts 11 and Psalm 135 in the evening
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