There are times in our lives when we just have this feeling that something is lacking or that you’re missing something? There are moments in our lives when we have a felt need that seems to overcome our focus. Now a felt need is distracting to say the least but a felt need isn’t exactly the most important issue.

This week I want to differentiate between felt needs and real needs. Felt needs are surface level things at best. They are the itch that we just need to scratch. Felt needs are generally tangible but sometimes are relational or social. Merely dealing with a felt need is like scratching poison ivy thinking it’s going to get better. It does NOT! I can assure you!

Real needs, or the need beneath the felt need, is what really needs addressed. When we deal with the real issue, not only will the felt need be handled in the moment but we’ll also set ourselves up to not have the same need again. Think about the poison ivy thing again. If all we do is scratch it, it won’t get any better. But if we deal with the underlying problem, the reaction our body is having to the oils in the plant, then not only will it stop itching but it will also dry up and not come back.

In our lives we try to scratch the itch associated with our financial needs, physical needs, emotional needs, social needs, and relational needs. But focusing merely on the tangible and temporary fixes to these needs will only leave us right back where we started days, weeks, or months down the road and the cycle repeats itself.

As a follower in Jesus, we should live like Jesus is the answer to the question we’re not even asking. We follow Jesus expecting him to meet our financial and social and other felt needs when he really isn’t into meeting those needs. Jesus wants to meet the real need underlying all of these and when we come to him as the one who can really drive to the heart of all we need and desire then we’ll find greater fulfillment in life’s everyday moments.

There’s a song that reminds me of this so it will be our Music Monday this week. Check out God Shaped Hole by Plumb. It’s a little dated but it’s still a good message we need to hear from time to time.