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September 2000 Table of Contents
Off The Top Of My Head
Needs
By Jerry Evans
 I remember when I was growing up and I would tell my dad that I needed something, he would say (excuse the colloquialism) "need in one hand and spit in the other and see which one gets full first." The whole idea was that need is a relative term. Now my dad only finished the seventh grade in school, so I can assure you he didn’t know or care about relative terms, he only knew that my idea of need and reality were two entirely different things.
After Jackie and I got married and had children of our own, I continued the family tradition. When I was approached about a need I would hold out my hands, palms up and repeat my fathers famous slogan. Amazingly enough, it didn’t make them any happier than it made me when I was young, but it sure did get the point across. We finally reached the point that when I was presented with one of these supposed needs, I would simply hold out my hands, palms up and move them up and down a little and the message was delivered. Please understand that our kids never suffered because we didn’t give in to every whim that they considered a need.
An incident happened in Wal-Mart today that got me to thinking about this whole idea of need. Jackie saw a young mother, who appeared to be of not great means, crying as she talked on the phone to someone and it became very apparent that her purse had been stolen. Please don’t think I’m trying to pin roses on my wife or anything like that, she just did what any of you would have done in the same circumstance. She went over and talked to the young lady and the next thing I knew she had her arms around her and was sharing Christ with her and letting her know that we were going to take care of that which she had lost. It wasn’t that much and beside that, God had provided extra for us at this time anyway. We paid for her things she was buying for her baby and gave her the money she had lost back and had the opportunity to show her what Jesus looks like. Look what God did, she got her needs plus she had all the money she started with.
I began to think about this incident as I drove home. Have you ever noticed how wealthy people take care of the needs of their children? When our kids needed a way to get to school after they were old enough to drive, I got them a car. Nothing fancy, mind you, but reliable. Now I watched as wealthy parents would buy their kids sports cars when they had to travel the same roads as ours. What was the difference? They were having their needs met according to the wealth of their parents as were ours. The difference was the wealth of the parents.
Now, you see where we are headed already, don’t you? Philippians 4:19 tells us “But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory.” My needs met by my Father according to His riches. What more could I ask for? The ability to distinguish between needs and wants. My problem is like that of my kids when they were young. I have trouble determining one from the other.
Jerry
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