Present with God: In my Needs

"My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:17

Do not expect fallen, finite people to be able to meet your infinite needs.

It is not uncommon to make the mistake of expecting too much from other people we are intimate relationships with. Whether a spouse or a parent or a close friend, there is, at times, the temptation to expect so much from them that we feel wronged if they cannot meet the needs we have placed on them. When this happens it is often evidence that we are running to them to meet a need that only God can satisfy.

Paul wants to be clear that it is God's sure supply which meets our every need. It is a product of his infinite love for us. It is secured by the promise of his Son. This is the place where we must run when we realize that we are expecting those around us to fill the God-shaped hole inside us.

Don't confuse this with toxic relationships. If your partner or parent or friend is unconcerned about your needs, dismissive of them and uninterested in making any attempt to meet them, then you must examine the relationship deeper to diagnose the brokenness behind that. In normal, healthy relationships we have empathy and compassion for each other and seek to find ways to meet each other's needs.

However, when you become focused on the ways you are being let down by those you are in a relationship with, this is a time to examine if you are placing on them an expectation they can never meet. By being present with God, we can reveal to him the need we feel is unmet and ask him to supply what we lack.

By being intentionally mindful of God's presence with us, we can receive from him the love, empathy, compassion, direction, protection, hope, and encouragement that we feel we are not getting from others. This allows us to release them from our expectations and to reset the terms of the relationship from a place of freedom and fullness and not a place of scarcity and disappointment.

Be Present with God

Make some time to be present with God. Confess to God how you have looked to others to meet needs that you should have looked to God to satisfy. Be as radically vulnerable as you can and reveal to God exactly what you need. Hear him respond and know that he is able to meet all your needs. Thank him that he loves you so much more than you can imagine and is always willing and able to respond to whatever you need. Thank him for the way he has made you aware of his presence during this time.