Wants vs. Needs

Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. - 1 John 5:14

Language acquisition is one of the most important activities of an overseas missionary, and it presents opportunities to explore various topics in the context of differing cultures. For example, in a French language class, we once discussed the responsibilities of parents in the education of their children. One topic we explored was the handling of money and agreed that an important thing for a child to learn (no matter where you live) is the difference between a "want" and a "need." For example, a child might "need" shoes, but they do not necessarily "need" a certain kind of very expensive shoe that all their friends are wearing! One vital role of parents is to teach their child the difference between a "want" and a "need."

God teaches us the same thing. He knows what we "need" and we usually have no problem letting Him know what we "want." Our goal must be to discover what it is that God "wants" and then when His "wants" become our "needs," all our "wants" and "needs" will be met by Him!

Every man makes a god of his own desire. - Virgil