Needs

Luke 12:23
For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

It is election time and boy are we all inundated with different massages and angles to consider. The funny thing is most angles have an iota of truth and all the debates and protest that happens is really escalated by the quality of life everyone aspires for.

Sure, costs of living have indeed gone up a fair bit, so everyone who is anyone is talking about it. But it also does not help that we are constantly measuring ourselves if we are well-off that results in an endless, unnecessary pursuit of more.

Over the past weekend, I've had the pleasure of going to Bangkok for a short holiday and even though I clearly went there with no intentions to shop, the moment I walked through Chatuchak market, boy did the shopper in me awaken. Suddenly there was so many things to see, look and even consider buying. So many endless wants, none of them were needs. Fortunately, I was saved by my heavy box of mangoes that reduced the amount of cash I had and had to physically lug about.

One of the little jokes we had in Bangkok was the need to buy what is needed. My point is if everything is based on needs, we won't need to spend much money or shop. We probably won't even need to go Bangkok for a holiday. (except for the spa and relaxing massages that I'll love to classify as a need of life - haha, kidding.)

In the sunday service I attended in the Bangkok church, their last week of mission month was to be spent out doing community work. Why? because instead of regular church service, they prefer to learn to serve as a church. How novel an idea because the moment we put the needs of others before us, our own needs and wants can become inconsequential. 

After-all, how much clothes, food and enjoyment do we need to maintain our human bodies? There are others with real needs that we should prioritise ahead of ourselves.

M.