"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!"
--Psalm 133:1(NIV)
Yesterday, our nine-year-old daughter, Zoe', was giving me hugs and tons of love. As I relished in her heartfelt embrace and compassion, she--in wisdom beyond her years said, "Mom...you can't buy love. You have to ask for it." Her innocent, yet perceptive and truthful words resonated in me. How often we walk through life, secretly longing for something--yet too afraid, too angry, too depressed, or too prideful to ask.
We all have emotional needs. Some of them include the need for love, warmth, security, acceptance, and value. When these needs go unmet, for a myriad of reasons (an emotionally unavailable parent, an inattentive spouse, an insensitive boss, etc.), we kick into a survival mode of sorts. We learn how to compensate for the unmet need in maladaptive ways--addictions, social isolation and withdrawal, and anti-social behaviors, to name a few. There may also be efforts to avoid, minimize, or ignore the need. Yet, the need has not gone anywhere; it has simply been securely covered and tucked away in the deepest places of the heart.
What if rather than ignoring or avoiding our emotional needs, we communicated them? What if we actually began to state our needs? Our voices have so much power and influence. We can literally change atmospheres and environments, bring awareness to issues and concerns, and cultivate greater sense of community and relationship as we communicate our needs one to another, and ultimately in prayer to God the Father, who promises to supply our every need!
Are you willing to take a risk and communicate a need?
"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."--Philippians 4:19(NIV)
