When Being Needy Is A Good Thing

Would you consider yourself a needy person? I doubt very few people want to consider themselves that way. Most of us want to see ourselves as strong, independent people who survive by whit and talent. We don't need help from anyone, parents, friends, teachers, because we are determined to succeed by our own merit. No one else is going to lay claim to our success.

Okay, so that may be a bit excessive but it's not too far from where most people are because we have no idea that we were created to be needy. The last thing Jesus wants us to be is independent and strong. Perhaps that is a shock to some people as it flies in the face of today's philosophies of life. I like the honesty of the psalmist:

Yet I am poor and needy;
come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay. (Psalm 70:5)

We were created to be dependent on God because he wants to lavish his love on us. We can do incredible things on our own, in our own independence but they are nothing compared to what God wants to do through us. We can become famous and rich but it is still nothing compared to what God wants to do in us. We were created in such a way that God is the only one who can make us feel complete and at peace. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are dependent on Jesus, and that's a good thing.

We are at the last day of the year, when many people make resolutions and promises, all of which have to do with improving our condition. Many follow the philosophy that we can do whatever we put our mind to. It is a very self-centered and rebellious philosophy where we say "No one can tell me what to do". Such a philosophy leads to a lot of disappointment, broken hearts and disillusionment with life. The fact is we can't do whatever we put our mind to because we have limitations, either in ourselves or in our environment.

However, when you change your desire from self-improvement to relationship improvement many things will change. When you realize your dependence on Jesus and make the decision that you want to improve the relationship, get to know him better, become more reliant on him, to stop making all the decisions on your own and to consult God on your plans, then you will see real improvement taking root. When you realize that you can't do all things in yourself but that you can do all things through Jesus, then you are in for an incredible year.

The fact is that we are not so independent, we have been created to be needy and the one we need is Jesus. Don't go it alone this year. Trust Jesus.