John 4:13–14 (CSB)
Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”
You live in the land of artificial need. It's not what you actually need; it's what you think you need. This happens to me every time I open my Amazon home page. They have sections titled, “Innovations designed to make life easier; Items chosen just for you.” As I was writing this, I glanced over to make sure I was getting those titles right and got sucked into the “Innovations designed to make life easier section.” Does that ever happen to you? You don't realize you need something until you see an ad. But have you ever stopped to consider what you truly need versus what the world tells you to need?
The Illusion of Artificial Needs
Advertisers are really good at creating artificial needs. They convince you that their products will make your life better. So, they create artificial needs that tell you that without this particular product, you simply will not be happy, you will not reach true fulfillment, or you won’t experience the contentment of the 'good life.'
God has created you with a ‘need component,’ directing you towards your Kingdom purpose. The world you live in is taking that component and twisting it around for its advantage. But in God's original design, your ‘need component’ helps you recognize you have a need for a loving, vital relationship with God. You need the safety and security and provision that only the Kingdom of God can provide. It helps you realize that you need the love, joy, and peace that only the Fruit of the Holy Spirit can birth and grow in you (Galatians 5:22-23). God has built within you a desire for daily, meaningful communion with Him.
The Consequences of a Hijacked ‘Need Component’
The crazy thing about this ‘need component’ is that if we don't have our needs turned in the direction of the Kingdom of God, then the kingdom of this world will hijack our ‘need component.’ The dangerous aspect of having our ‘need component’ hijacked by the world is that the world can never fulfill our deepest needs. We will always be searching for more and never be content with anything this world provides. This is why so many Christians today who attend and serve in the local church have hearts that are empty and aching. It's not because they don't love God; rather, they're looking to something other than God to give them their identity and purpose in life.
They have bought into the artificial needs of this world, thinking that this world has some innovations that will make their lives easier, better, and more fulfilling. And when they get that innovation, they feel a moment of exhilaration and happiness, believing this is going to truly solve all their problems. But just like everything else in this world, it leaves them with the feeling that they need more. Why is that? It's because God created your ‘need component,’ and only He can fulfill your deepest needs (1 John 2:15-17).
This is why you've always heard over and over in church that you need to be reading your Bible, praying, communing with God, and fellowshipping with other believers. Because all these disciplines of devotion can lead you to a deeper, richer relationship with God and fulfill your ‘need component.’
Today, are there any materialistic things that you think you need for happiness and contentment? Is there anything you dream about and believe, “If I only had ‘that,’ all of life would be good?” Do you look at other people's families and wish you had what they have? If you answer yes to any of these questions, then your ‘need component’ has been hijacked. You’ve fallen into the artificial need trap believing that this world can give you only what God can.
True Fulfillment: Focusing on Spiritual Needs
Take this moment right here and right now to think about what you truly need. In Matthew chapter four Jesus had fasted for forty days and Satan comes with a needs-based temptation. “Then the tempter approached him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread’” (Matthew 4:3, CSB). No doubt Jesus was hungry and needed food. Jesus had the power and authority to turn the stones into bread. However, Jesus was tuned in to His true need, which was spiritual provision from His heavenly Father. “He answered, ‘It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4, CSB).
God has created you with emotional, mental, and physical needs and all these components weave together to make you who God created you to be. However, you must keep these in check and realize that God created you with spiritual needs. And your spiritual needs must supersede all the other needs in your life. Once you align your spiritual needs correctly—finding fulfillment in your identity and position in Christ—the world will no longer be able to hijack your ‘need component.’