How we define and use many of the words that are part of our everyday conversations probably doesn’t always match up with the definition we’d find in a dictionary. The part of the country in which we live, our occupations, even our family’s quirky terminology, all influence not only how we express ourselves, but how we perceive what we hear from others.
We give value and importance to words, and the ways in which they are used or misused, understood or misunderstood can make a big difference in how families, communities, and even nations interact. Then there are the ways in which people get pretty creative with their terminology. Definitions of right or wrong, ethical or unethical, appropriate or inappropriate all seem to vary, depending on the situations at hand.
The age-old question of being able to determine the difference between a need and a want is still with us today. For most of us, it’s not that hard to find a way to decide that what we want is also something we really, really need. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus tells the disciples and other followers that being overly attached to earthly possessions can get in the way of being part of God’s kingdom. He reminds them that God knows what we need before we even ask for it, that storing up earthly treasures is futile, and how the rich young man couldn’t bring himself to part with his wealth and follow Jesus.
My mother-in-law told me of a time when she was watching two of her grandsons playing with their little cars. The four-year-old was an energetic live wire, while the two-year-old was easygoing and generally content with whatever was going on. As they were playing, the older boy reached over and took one of his brother’s cars, adding it to his fleet. Then another, and another until his brother was down to one. At that point, Grandma said, “Johnny, you’re taking all your brother’s cars. Now he has only one.” Quickly defending his action, he told her, “Oh, but Grandma, I NEED them!” And in his little-boy mind, he really did.
And so we go around and around. What do we need, what do we want, and how do we figure out the difference? There are no easy answers, and one size does not fit all. But we can certainly look at ourselves, and then the communities in which we live, and consider how we are doing in light of our Lord’s teachings.
“Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.”
“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:1, 7
When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he explained that the treasure of the gospel has been entrusted to humans, who are as common and easily broken as clay jars made for everyday use. So we keep on doing that to which we are called, not losing heart. We are reminded that God’s power makes it possible for us to share this treasure with all people, and we know that all NEED it!
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers