There is a difference between wants and needs. A want is that which one merely desires but is not needed to remain a living human being, and to serve God. A need is that which one must have to remain alive as a living human being, and therefore to serve God.
Thus, whether something is a want or need is determined by reference to whether it is needed to serve God for His glory. This is because humans exist for the purpose of glorifying God, and not ourselves. We are to live for Him, and not ourselves:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (Genesis 1:27).
Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him (Isaiah 43:7).
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (Revelation 4:11).
There are many legitimate needs and desires that people have, such as the desire for food and sex.
So, what one needs must be for the purpose of glorifying God. Of course, what a need is can be indulged in for self-centred ways that are not done to glorify God. Such is the way of greed for legitimate needs such as food. When one eats, not to glorify God, but to self-indulge, one perverts what is a need into a want.
This perversion of a need into a want is itself a sin, being the manifestation of self-exultation and self-worship, the root of which is pride. It is to worship mammon, as one by default serves mammon when one serves one's own needs, so as to pervert such needs into wants. Serving one's needs is itself the failure to serve God, as serving one's needs is to serve oneself.
To serve one's needs is different from having one's needs met as a means to serve God. A Christian is totally liberated from serving his needs as God provides. He needs only to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. God makes it His duty to provide when a Christian seeks first His Kingdom and His righteousness:
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof
(Matthew 6:30-34).
The perversion of needs as wants is an extremely dangerous one. It is slavery to one's needs, coming from a selfish pursuit of one's needs, such that those needs are used to serve oneself, instead of as an means to serve God. Not only does that put such a person in spiritual bondage. It places a man whose primary obligation is to provide for his family's needs into spiritual bondage, by twisting it into an obligation to provide for their wants (Genesis 3:17-19; 1 Timothy 5:8; Ephesians 5:23-25).
That is another issue which will be examined in another article, and which is argued to be one main causes of family breakdown, that is, financial strain or dispute. It is one of the main forms of manipulation that wives and children use against their husbands and fathers or parents more generally, respectively.
Such is the way of self-exultation and self-worship where one seeks one's needs, instead of fully relying on God to provide.
Thus, whether something is a want or need is determined by reference to whether it is needed to serve God for His glory. This is because humans exist for the purpose of glorifying God, and not ourselves. We are to live for Him, and not ourselves:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (Genesis 1:27).
Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him (Isaiah 43:7).
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (Revelation 4:11).
There are many legitimate needs and desires that people have, such as the desire for food and sex.
So, what one needs must be for the purpose of glorifying God. Of course, what a need is can be indulged in for self-centred ways that are not done to glorify God. Such is the way of greed for legitimate needs such as food. When one eats, not to glorify God, but to self-indulge, one perverts what is a need into a want.
This perversion of a need into a want is itself a sin, being the manifestation of self-exultation and self-worship, the root of which is pride. It is to worship mammon, as one by default serves mammon when one serves one's own needs, so as to pervert such needs into wants. Serving one's needs is itself the failure to serve God, as serving one's needs is to serve oneself.
To serve one's needs is different from having one's needs met as a means to serve God. A Christian is totally liberated from serving his needs as God provides. He needs only to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. God makes it His duty to provide when a Christian seeks first His Kingdom and His righteousness:
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof
(Matthew 6:30-34).
The perversion of needs as wants is an extremely dangerous one. It is slavery to one's needs, coming from a selfish pursuit of one's needs, such that those needs are used to serve oneself, instead of as an means to serve God. Not only does that put such a person in spiritual bondage. It places a man whose primary obligation is to provide for his family's needs into spiritual bondage, by twisting it into an obligation to provide for their wants (Genesis 3:17-19; 1 Timothy 5:8; Ephesians 5:23-25).
That is another issue which will be examined in another article, and which is argued to be one main causes of family breakdown, that is, financial strain or dispute. It is one of the main forms of manipulation that wives and children use against their husbands and fathers or parents more generally, respectively.
Such is the way of self-exultation and self-worship where one seeks one's needs, instead of fully relying on God to provide.
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