Is God your 'Want' or your 'Need'?



IS GOD YOUR ‘WANT’ OR YOUR ‘NEED’?

Mario D’Couto

            Let me begin with the question, is a ‘want’ and a ‘need’ the same? Can we speak of these two attributes of the human person synonymously? A ‘want’ is something that a person can do without whereas a ‘need’ is something that is essential for one’s survival. I may ‘want’ an Armani suit or a Gucci watch or a Nike sports shoes but if I don’t have it, will my life stop? Absolutely not! On the other hand, I would definitely ‘need’ food, clothing and a roof above my head. I am sure this is something that we can all relate to as this is what constitutes the essential needs of the human person. However, there is another essential need which perhaps has many a times been ignored or taken for granted and that’s the need for intimacy.

            Yes! Intimacy is a need. You cannot live long without food to eat and water to drink and it would all be over in a matter of minutes without air to breathe. Food to eat, water to drink and airt to breath are all legitimate needs. But so is intimacy. You may survive without it but you cannot thrive and become the best version of yourself without it.

            Now before you could let your imaginations run wild, intimacy is a far greater reality than just a sexual union. It’s too bad that the media has distorted its true meaning and presented to us something which it is not. In the true sense of the word, intimacy is about helping the other and being helped in return in becoming the best version of yourself which is why intimacy is rooted in love. Without love, there cannot be intimacy because to love is to will the good of the other. Perhaps, you may be wondering what has all this got to do with God?

            I truly believe the way we relate with God is a reflection of how we deal with the people around us. Do we love and honour Him for who He is in our lives or do we approach Him like a ‘vending machine’, with the intention of getting our ‘wants’ fulfilled? Building intimacy is a process to be enjoyed and not a task to be finished. But how would that be possible if we don’t spend time the person with whom we would like to build intimacy with (unless that person does not matter to you)?

            The truth is that there is a restlessness within each of us that wants to be satiated and in our efforts to feel complete, worthy, fulfilled and contented, we often chase after pleasure, possessions and achievements. We think that if we can experience the right type of pleasure, amass enough possessions or attain certain accomplishments, the restlessness will be overcome and we will finally have a sense of fulfillment and contentment. But while each encounter with pleasure, possessions and achievement may be there, its effects are only temporary. This then becomes a sort of a vicious cycle where in order to fill that void, we chase after more intense pleasures, larger piles of possessions and grander achievements, thinking that this time, we would find fulfillment but it doesn’t and the cycle continues. When such a thing happens, we are no better than the donkey chasing after the carrot.

            If you have read or checked my blogpost/reflection, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”(https://insightsfromacommonman.blogspot.com/2020/03/am-i-my-brothers-keeper.html) I spoke about how once we lose the thread that connects the pieces of our lives, when we sense that there is no meaning and purpose, jumping from one activity to another to numb our conscience, we could be asking for serious trouble. If we don’t have the ‘why’ to our existence, we may as well be compared to the stone. The stone also exists but there is no purpose or meaning to its existence.

            Death may seem like a socially taboo topic in certain cultural settings while in some places, it may not be spoken of as it may seem frightening and in some places, people may just ‘give a damn’ about it. But deep down inside of us, there is the will to survive although death is such a phenomenon that it is inevitable. It can happen to anybody at any time.

            Most often we think of death as a future event but I would like to highlight what Seneca once said. According to him, death is not something that happens as a distant event in the future, but rather every second, we are dying. Every second is like one step close to the grave. When I came across this, it hit me hard. It made me think that while apparently we may think of ourselves as alive and breathing, there may be some forms of living where we are actually dying, if you know what I mean. Am I utilizing my time productively and in the right way? I think we become fully alive the moment we use every second as opportunities to pursue the path in becoming the best version of ourselves, into that person God Almighty created us to be and if we go to our Blessed Lord in humility, why wouldn’t He help?

            The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. With the ongoing corona virus pandemic, the future seems uncertain but on a positive note, we can be certain of the One who holds our future. If only we would realize and become more aware of the fact that every breath we take is a gift from Him. What’s more precious than life after all. Not all the wealth in the world put together can restore it once it is gone. As we continue to face these trying times, may we take it as an opportunity to build and deepen our relationship with our good Lord. Our God is a wonderful and mighty God and when we are with Him, we need not fear whatever evil may befall us, be it physical, moral or spiritual, because He has got our back. Putting all this together, we have every good reason as to why we need God more than He needs us. But I leave that for you to decide. The choice is yours.

           

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