Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs
according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Yesterday I visited my favorite grocery store. I say visited
because I took my time to sight-see and appreciate the experience rather than
bolting through list in hand in hopes of getting out as quickly as possible. I’m
a practical person and once I’ve made my grocery list from menu plans, I pretty
much stick to it. I don’t buy junk food or sugary things. I read labels and put
back more items than I leave with usually. Having health issues has made a big
difference in how I choose what I let into my body but making healthy choices
is more than food, it’s a mindset.
Maybe it has come with age and/or wisdom, I don’t know, but
I have come to a time in my life where I am eager to eliminate the things I do
not need. Before you can do that, you have to determine what your priorities
are, they outline the needs. Needs and wants are two different things. It is
important to know the difference.
This is my list of what I NEED:
My relationship with Jesus is #1. I need my Bible and dedicated
time with Him.
#2 Family and close friend relationships are vital. I’m not
talking about a wide circle of people, though that is nice, but my need is that
small intimate circle of people I know I can trust with my most private,
personal self. Sadly, not all family or friends falls into that category but
that’s okay, you love them anyway.
#3 Home (for me) has always been elusive. I won’t bore you with
that long story but I’ve come to realize that maybe, in part, it is because my
eternal home is the only one that really counts. I am just a traveler in this
world passing through. That being said, my earthly home is where I can feel
peaceful. It’s not about the size of the house or the cost of the furnishings;
it is more emotion than location. I need a place of peace.
#4 I need pretty. By that I mean I need the work of my hands
to use the colors of life God created to make my surroundings pretty.
Gardening, bringing color inside, delights not only my eyes but soothes me mentally
and emotionally as well. Goes with that sense of peace I need.
#5 Wisdom. I need wisdom. I pray for wisdom all the time.
Now, you notice my list of Needs is not a long one. Were I
to write up a list of wants, it would be longer, no doubt. But even then, it
would be far shorter now than at other stages of my life. You might notice what
I didn’t list…a job, health, food, security….for these I refer you to Need #1. Everything
on my list, in fact, leads right back to #1. When you get to the basics of what
you actually need, it all comes from #1.
If I had to walk away from my home today, never to look back
or return, I would take my Bible and my pups. That’s it. My #1 goes with me
everywhere I go and provides #’s 2-5. That’s all I need. See? Healthy choices
are easy when you know what you need.
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