Our greatest need

IF we are serious with our life, if we realize that our life has an ultimate purpose, then we have to be clear also about what our greatest need is, so we would know at every instance of our life, in every situation and condition that we may find ourselves, how to address and fulfill that need.

We cannot and should not be casual about this matter. This is a serious one. It would be a real pity if after giving our all-out efforts to take care of the many subordinate, minor or immediate needs we have, we fail to address the real, ultimate need we also have.

This greatest need of ours should be the one to give order and direction to all the other needs we have. It should never be forgotten. It should be given first priority. Attending to our other needs should be subordinated to this ultimate need of ours.

We cannot deny that we have all kinds of needs, considering the way we are. We have physical needs, biological needs, emotional and mental needs, social, economic needs, etc. The list can go on. While each of these needs has its legitimate value and requires due attention from us, we should know how to fulfill them so that the ultimate need is served in the first place.

And what is this greatest need of ours? Well, God, of course! We need him more than we need air, water, food and all other earthly and temporal needs we have. He is our Creator, our ultimate Father who created us in his image and likeness. We are meant to share his life not only in our definitive state in heaven, but also while here on earth. He is actually our constant need, though we may need time and effort to realize this.

Since God is someone spiritual and supernatural, we need to develop first of all our spiritual life. As early as possible, we should try to impart to everyone the reality of this need and to start developing the appropriate attitude, awareness and skills of how to deal with this need.

We have to be wary of our current world mainstream culture that seems to rivet us to the here and now, to our immediate and instinctive needs, or to trap us in our worldly and temporal needs only. We have to know how to overcome this danger. While these needs have to be attended to also, they should be done in such a way that they serve the primary and ultimate need of ours in the first place.

In this regard, it is always important that we try to live our faith, hope and charity as fully as possible, making them filter down to the different aspects of our natural organism—our emotions and passions, our psychological, mental and intellectual faculties, etc. The idea is that in whatever condition we may find ourselves, even if we are dealing with the most mundane tasks, we would always be aware of our need for God.

This, obviously, will require of us to develop a certain plan of life where we always enliven our spiritual and supernatural life, our relation with God, through prayer, sacrifices, recourse to the sacraments, continuing spiritual formation, developing virtues, waging war against temptations and sin, etc.

Let’s hope that we always feel the need for God in our life!