“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
What is your initial response to this verse? That God will make sure that you always have lots of food to eat? That you will never be without a job? That you will be able to retire in style?
Me too. But we both know this isn’t what the promise means. God WILL supply every single need we will ever have. He has promised. Just remember two things: 1) God differentiates between wants and needs and 2) God knows our needs better than we do. Mat 6:8 “… your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
“OK, Joe”, you sigh, “I knew there was a catch. This is like my Mom making me eat my broccoli because ‘it is good for me’”.
Thanks for the illustration. You are exactly right. Because your heavenly father loves you infinitely more than your earthly parents, he will not hold back a single good thing from you. Now. Stop and think a minute.
What do you think God thinks you need?
A new smart phone?
Unlimited wealth?
A new car?
A huge pay raise?
Maybe…maybe not.
It may help us keep things in perspective if we realize that the man who wrote these words did so while in prison. One may assume that “release from prison” is something our author would need. Not so. He writes,
“Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. “
Philippians 4:11-13
So let’s ask again: What do you think God thinks you need?
Could it be …
Contentment?
Peace?
Integrity?
Character?
Love for others?
Love for God?
Hmmm.
Just in case you are still equating God’s definition of your needs with your mom making you eat your broccoli, maybe we left one need off the list: growing up.
So back to our title question: Will God REALLY supply all of your needs?
Certainly! Just be careful what you ask for.
Readers: Does this post help you better distinguish between “needs” and “wants”? How? In what ways has God supplied your needs?
Joe Plemon is a Certified Financial Counselor and has been coaching people with money since 2006. He also served as a Money Columnist for the Southern Illinoisan newspaper since 2007.. He loves St Louis Cardinal baseball, blues music, online Scrabble, power naps, short term mission trips and family Sunday dinners.
I should probably copy this article and put it as my desktop background
: )
It’s so easy to get caught up in the material things and to make it a goal to increase your standard of living. Living well is a good thing, but not being able to differentiate needs from wants will lead to an unsatisfied life.
God has blessed me with more than I could imagine
-Beautiful wife
-Good health
-Great jobs
-Opportunities to learn (schooling)
The list can go on and on. Even more, He’s given us his spirit and if we live by the spirit, I think we can differentiate needs/wants much better.
Very excellent discussion of that passage, Joe! It’s so easy for us to get caught up in what we think are our “needs” and then get disappointed when God doesn’t give those to us. For me, it’s all about keeping things in the eternal perspective. My only true need is Jesus Christ – and now that I have Him nothing can ever take Him away from me. No matter what I have or don’t have in this life I will always have salvation through Christ for all eternity. It’s not easy to keep that perspective from day to day, but I try to reflect on it as often as I can. Thanks for this great post!
@Tim,
Haha about the desktop background. That may be the best compliment on a post I have ever received. 🙂
Like you, God has blessed me more than I could ever imagine. Maybe that is why Ephesians 3:20 is my favorite verse.
@Paul,
Isn’t it great knowing that when we have Christ we do indeed have EVERYTHING we could ever need? It is even better when we realize that He can never be taken away…for eternity! Thanks for the apt reminder. I cannot hear this too many times.
Interesting that the examples in the Bible show that the closer a person walked with God the less need for material things they felt. Imagine the fast of Jesus for 40 days! Yet, he was strengthed for the work before him.
You know what I really love about those two passages? The fact that they are both written to the same people, in the same basic line of thought! We are commanded by Jesus to seek the Kingdom of Heaven and His righteousness, and trust God to provide the rest!
@Carol,
Great observation…one I hadn’t really considered. But walking closer to God really does satisfy our core being. Why would “stuff” be important to someone who has a close walk with God? It certainly wasn’t important to Paul.
I should probably copy this article and put it as my desktop background
: )
It’s so easy to get caught up in the material things and to make it a goal to increase your standard of living. Living well is a good thing, but not being able to differentiate needs from wants will lead to an unsatisfied life.
God has blessed me with more than I could imagine
-Beautiful wife
-Good health
-Great jobs
-Opportunities to learn (schooling)
The list can go on and on. Even more, He’s given us his spirit and if we live by the spirit, I think we can differentiate needs/wants much better.
Very excellent discussion of that passage, Joe! It’s so easy for us to get caught up in what we think are our “needs” and then get disappointed when God doesn’t give those to us. For me, it’s all about keeping things in the eternal perspective. My only true need is Jesus Christ – and now that I have Him nothing can ever take Him away from me. No matter what I have or don’t have in this life I will always have salvation through Christ for all eternity. It’s not easy to keep that perspective from day to day, but I try to reflect on it as often as I can. Thanks for this great post!
@Tim,
Haha about the desktop background. That may be the best compliment on a post I have ever received. 🙂
Like you, God has blessed me more than I could ever imagine. Maybe that is why Ephesians 3:20 is my favorite verse.
@Paul,
Isn’t it great knowing that when we have Christ we do indeed have EVERYTHING we could ever need? It is even better when we realize that He can never be taken away…for eternity! Thanks for the apt reminder. I cannot hear this too many times.
Well done Joe! Thank you! I’m saving this one too.
Interesting that the examples in the Bible show that the closer a person walked with God the less need for material things they felt. Imagine the fast of Jesus for 40 days! Yet, he was strengthed for the work before him.
You know what I really love about those two passages? The fact that they are both written to the same people, in the same basic line of thought! We are commanded by Jesus to seek the Kingdom of Heaven and His righteousness, and trust God to provide the rest!
Great reminder!
@George,
Thanks.
@Carol,
Great observation…one I hadn’t really considered. But walking closer to God really does satisfy our core being. Why would “stuff” be important to someone who has a close walk with God? It certainly wasn’t important to Paul.
@Khaleef,
Amen!