What We Want Versus What We Need

We have a saying in our house: “Do what you need to do before you do what you want to do”.  This saying has been repeated more times than I can count to our children as they were growing up. It is still said occasionally even as they are young adults. This sentence is meant to teach them the principle of responsibility and practically the times to exercise it. It was our hope that if the children remembered this saying, they would instinctivly know how to be responsible with their choices in life.

It seems an uphill battle at times to be responsible, to do the right thing, at the right time. It is all too easy to let laziness and complacency win out over the harder choice of responsibility. But whether matters of household maintenance, work responsibilities, physical exercise and nutrition, or spiritual health, there are always two choices: We either do what we should do or we do what we want to do.

As I am reading through the chronological Bible this year, I am entering the phase of learning about the kings of the divided kingdom and their corresponding prophets. It is not a good time of history for the children of God. The kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah each have their issues. Serious issues.

Israel is on the verge of being sent into exile by the Lord for their sins of idolatry and injustice. In Amos 2:6-12, the prophet warns them, as many before him have done, of their sins and the consequences if the people do not repent. He particularly addresses how the people not only rejected what the prophets said but even went so far as to command them not to even speak (verse 11-12). Judgement is now on the way.

God sent many prophets to His people to help them know the way of responsibility. His way is not always the easiest but it is always the best. Much of the time it seems God’s way is in fact difficult and costly. But what is revealed when His way is followed is that it is abundantly worth it. It reaps a harvest of good and steers clear of wickedness and devastation.

This truth is echoed in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” This “path” is one determined by responsibility. If we do what we want to do, we will be likely to wander toward the broad path because it is easy. If we do what we should do, we will take the harder more narrow path because we know it will be worth it in the end.

It comes down to choosing to do what we need over what we want at times. Like eating healthy or exercising, it is challenging to maintain healthy choices everyday but I have found the more I know about the benefits and warnings of not doing so helps me be motivated to choose wisely. The more I learn from God about choosing wisely how I live in this world helps me just the same. It motivates me to make the harder choices of responsibility.

That is why it is such a detriment when the nation of Israel sought to silence the prophets. They wanted to refrain from hearing the truth that would benefit them the most. They would rather listen to the false prophets and priests that said everything was fine as they chose idolatry and injustice. The easy, level road of avoiding and silencing conviction leads to destruction one way or another. In this life and for eternity, the wide road is detrimental. When we don’t want to hear the hard truth, we are taking the wide road that can lead to our demise.

The broad path may lead downward but the narrow path leads upward, toward God and all He has for us, all He has planned for us. No one is overjoyed at hearing hard teaching and correction but it is life-giving. It is what we need. It is what Jesus spoke as well. There were many who would not continue to follow Him because of the narrow road He taught about. They were after ease and comfort. They shied away from thinking too hard or sacrificing too much. They left Him to find someone who would speak of just the positive, encouraging lessons. We tend to gravitate to who will speak what we want to hear.

Who are you listening to? Is the easy route all you are taking for a quiet time? Are you making it a part of your lifestyle to read the Word for yourself? Or are you letting someone else digest it for you by reading just devotionals or using a quick app on your phone. Devotionals and apps are like minimum wage. They are fine but you were never meant to settle long term for that. You are created for more, but it takes responsibility and following the harder, narrow road that leads upward to do that. What God intends for you to receive when you read and learn for yourself is far better than what you gain from someone else doing the hard part for you. Every believer has what it takes to read and learn. Why? Because we each have the Holy Spirit who Jesus promised would help us understand His truth (John 16:5-16). Our depth and strength of faith will match the effort we put in to it.

But it goes back to the saying we have in our family. Will we do what we need to do before we do what we want to do? How often do we say we don’t have time yet we scroll through Pinterest or Facebook for more time than we would care to admit? Or we spend hours at the gym or on Netflix ? Or maybe we are reading good Christian books? But that will never be as fruitful in our life like the Word itself.

We need the Bible ringing truth in our ears just like the Israelites needed the prophets speaking truth to them. We may not want it at times, but oh how we need it! It is like the final view from a hike. By taking the path leading upward, the view will be breathtaking. If we stay on the easy level path, in the end there will be no great reward.

One day, at the end of our life, we will have one last view.  Did we take the easy way, or did we put forth the effort to traverse the truth for ourselves? The final view will speak for itself what we should have done…..

Either the view will be spectacular or it will be mundane. Either way it will be too late to adjust our choices. Now is the time to do what we should do before we do what we want to do. The hard work pays off friends. I’ve read the end of the Book. Oh how it pays off!!