Needs Versus Wants

A lesson I relearn every time I come to Africa is the distinction between our needs versus our wants. Back home everyone thinks they need a car of their own, a nice house with every utility imaginable (including cable TV, or a satellite dish, and high-speed internet), three big meals a day, a great education, the best doctors and medicines, and more furnishings and clothing than one could possibly use or wear in a lifetime.

When you land in Accra, Ghana's capital, you find a relatively modern city and all of the above can at least be obtained there; though very few can afford them. The further you move from Accra, however, the less and less these things are available, and the less and less you even see them. Ultimately, of course, you get to the village level in Ghana, where there isn't even electricity or running water, although the people do have a roof over their heads and something to wear and eat. The people there may have to spend hours each day just to fetch water and eke out a subsistence diet from the ground, but at least the possibility is there.

I think of this as I take my cold shower every morning (we have no hot water here); at least I have a shower and I'm not bathing in a stream or from a bucket. I think of this riding my motorbike as I zoom past people who are walking or riding their bicycles – some of them trekking 8-10 miles a day, one way, to work or school. I think of this in the morning when I pass women cooking poko (porridge) alongside the street over open fires as hungry school children stand by with cups in hand ready to get their breakfast.

Let's face it; what do we really need to live? Not much really. Once the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray and Jesus gave what I believe are the only things we really need:

"Give us this day, our daily bread…" – Provision (food, shelter, clothing)
"And forgive us our trespasses…" – Forgiveness
"And lead us not…" – Guidance
"But deliver us from evil…" – Salvation

Red, yellow, black or white… rich or poor, developed or developing – we all have the same four needs, and Jesus taught us the place to find them; from God, who we are supposed to ask for them from.

I did not write this to make you feel guilty. I feel guilty enough for all of us with everything I have, even over here. I say this to remind us how blessed we ALL are to have a heavenly Father who cares for us and who has promised to meet every one of our needs (provision, forgiveness, guidance and salvation) from his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Do you trust him to meet all your needs today, or are you still striving to earn what he has already promised and given? Take a moment before you go to bed tonight to ask him to meet your needs, and then thank him because he's already doing just that… we are so blessed!