Transcript
One of the things that God does in the trouble that He ordains for us to experience - now, we know that God sends trouble our way because the Bible says that, that trouble is God's delivery system of good things - one of the things that God clearly does in trouble is expose that what we think we need, what we think we could not live without, maybe we don't need after all.
When Wants Become Needs
You see, what we do in the self-deceit of sin is we convince ourselves that our wants are actually needs. Here's what happens. There's nothing wrong with desire, but a desire very quickly becomes a demand. A demand is "I must". Now, I've closed my hands around the want. Now, I'm not so willing to let go of it, but it doesn't stop there. Demand then morphs into need. What I once desired, I'm now convinced I need. That's the "I will. I have to have this in my life. That's the growing rulership of desire in my heart. What I once desired, I'm now convinced that I need.
But listen, that's not all that happens. Listen to the spiritual dynamics here. Need then forms expectation. Think about this. If you're convinced you need something, then you also tell yourself that if that person loves you, they'll deliver that need. Need forms expectation.
Oh, we're not done. That's "You must. You must." I've now laid that expectation on the people around me or on God. Expectation then forms disappointment. There's a direct relationship between expectation and disappointment because I didn't get what I was expecting, I'm now disappointed and disappointment leads to some aspect of punishment. I walk away angry. I give up on you because I can't believe that you wouldn't meet the need.
You see, part of the trouble of trouble is trouble exposes that what you thought you need, you don't actually need. God has given you everything you need. You know what that "everything" is called? That everything has a name: Jesus.
Everything We Need for Life and Godliness
2 Peter 1:3-4 says we've already been given everything we need for life and godliness. I've experienced this year, as I've gone through very significant physical suffering. What I thought I needed, I thought in order to be usable, I needed a healthy body. I needed to be strong.
What's been amazing to me is this year where I've suffered more physically than I ever thought I would suffer, I've been weaker than I've ever been, it's been one of the most productive times in ministry. We struggle with struggle because struggle challenges your view of what you need.
Be careful what you tell yourself you need because when God takes away those things, it's very easy to conclude that He doesn't love you because He's not delivering what you need. Maybe the problem is not the love of God. Maybe the problem is you're struggling because you just don't need what you think you need.
