Do I Really Need This?
Wants vs. Needs
Jane Mullikin

  

It’s often difficult to determine if we really need something or if it’s just something we want to own.  Many times we make purchases that we absolutely have to possess only to greatly regret the purchase when the bill comes in.

If it is something we really didn’t have to have and the price means giving up something far more important, then we have lost twice.  We have lost because of the financial bind and we have lost because the thing we possess has lost its luster as a result of the financial pain.

Here’s a barometer of "Do I Really Need This?" that truly works every time.

I know beautiful twin sisters living in a Caribbean country.  Madeline and Emmanuela Aurelieu are preteens who want all the things that pretty preteens want.  Unfortunately, their homeland was hit hard by a hurricane about a year and a half ago.  That Christmas the gift money they received from their school sponsor was used to buy a goat for the family.  When they received their birthday money from the sponsor, it was used to buy a turkey and a goose for the family.

Since learning of Madeline and Emmanuela’s gifts to their family, I have begun to use the girls as a gauge for my own purchasing decisions.  Do I need new clothes as much as a child somewhere needs an educational sponsor?

Do I need extended cable TV as much as a child somewhere needs an educational sponsor?  It is amazing how many things have dropped off my "need" and onto my "want" list using this measurement.  Even better is the fact that things not purchased under this standard are never ever missed. 
God promises to cover our needs.  He does not promise to cover our "wants."

* * * * *

Jane Mullikin has a beautiful site at http://www.spiritualsisters.com.  Give her a visit--you'll definitely be glad you did!  You'll find many articles from many different writers on a great variety of topics.  Enjoy!!

  


 
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Yes, life can be mysterious and confusing--but there's much of life that's actually rather dependable and reliable.  Some principles apply to life in so many different contexts that they can truly be called universal--and learning what they are and how to approach them and use them can teach us some of the most important lessons that we've ever learned.
My doctorate is in Teaching and Learning.  I use it a lot when I teach at school, but I also do my best to apply what I've learned to the life I'm living, and to observe how others live their lives.  What makes them happy or unhappy, stressed or peaceful, selfish or generous, compassionate or arrogant?  In this book, I've done my best to pass on to you what I've learned from people in my life, writers whose works I've read, and stories that I've heard.  Perhaps these principles can be a positive part of your life, too!
Universal Principles of Living Life Fully.  Awareness of these principles can explain a lot and take much of the frustration out of the lives we lead.