Why believe in something, or someone, for which you have no (perceived) need? It’s a good question that a lot of people ask.
The word need holds many different meanings. To say, “I need my coffee in the morning, or I won’t be able to function” is a popular thing to say, but not really true. To say, “I need oxygen to breathe, or my heart will stop beating” is a factually true statement. What do we mean when we say, “I don’t need God?”
The story of the conversation between Jesus and the rich young ruler in Luke 18 illustrates two situations in life that can impact our perception of need: an abundance of wealth and our own goodness. It’s what we cover in sermon 3 of our series.
Watch Now: I can’t believe in a God who I don’t need.
From this story, we learn a few really important lessons about what we actually need, and why God is essential to each of our lives.
Some people (not all) who have an abundance of wealth get to the point where they don’t really feel like they need anyone—especially God. Their perceived need for others becomes numb—even though it still exists. Others strive to live “good” lives, helping others and generally being decent people. They try to not hurt others, and minimize the damage that they cause.
The truth is, we all need some things (including God) that we just can’t see because they’re in our blind spot. When things happen that are outside of our control, or when we reach a point where we realize we’re not powerful enough to change our own negative behaviors, we suddenly become more aware of our need for God. We also become more keenly aware of our need for God when inevitably face our own death - something each of us will have to do someday.
Watch the full sermon to hear our Care Pastor, Chris Amdahl shed light on our actual need for God and the common ways we can blind ourselves to that reality.