For the week of August 1, 2006

 

There were no needy persons among them.

-Acts 4:34

No one comes into this world as self-sufficient. We are all born with needs. Even as we grow into adulthood and learn to take care of ourselves, we still have very real and important emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs. The word “need” appears in the Bible nearly 200 times and it is used almost always in a positive sense.

In a revealing poll, George Gallup, Jr. reported Seven Needs of the average American:

1. The need for shelter and food
2. The need to believe life is meaningful and has a purpose
3. The need for a sense of community and deeper relationships
4. The need to be appreciated and respected
5. The need to be listened to and be heard
6. The need to feel one is growing in faith
7. The need for practical help in developing a mature faith

(National and International Religion Report, May 29, 1991.)

Think of how effective our outreach to others would be if we were keenly aware of other people's needs and passionately focused on meeting them (Matthew 22:39).

If we stopped to listen to their questions and viewpoints…
If we expressed appreciation for their hard work…..
If we let them know in no uncertain terms that they are loved.

This week ask God to show you how to more effectively meet the needs of the people He has brought into your life—at work, church, school, in the home, on the street.

“He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:28-29).

-William Sherman-