"Needs are essential for survival, like food and shelter. Wants are things we desire but can live without, like a new phone or a fancy car."
Need versus want is hard this time of year. We always WANT the new technology that comes out or the new car with all the features, but sometimes, our needs come first. We also have things that are both a need and a want, like Jesus.
There are things that we can live without. Like the latest car, newest phone, or biggest house. I am guilty of this. Sometimes I want the bigger or better. Buying things I do not need but can use. Maybe. There have also been times that I have bought some new clothes, didn't try them on and they didn't. So I wasted my money and am now reselling for a lower amount.
There are also times we buy things that we think we need at that moment in time but it just sits around in the box for days, months, even years before it is even used or the box is even opened. (This has happened at my house.)
When I go thrift store shopping with my mom, there are times that I am amazed by how much stuff there is in this world or what is being sold on social media that is used and brand new. I know that becoming a "minimalist" is a new style, but, in my opinion, it cannot be done without having memories around. I like thrift store shopping because I like to buy used rather than new things like picture frames or wall art.
I am also amazed at how many handmade gifts or memories are donated. I found a photo album one time that STILL had the family's photos in it. I have seen on TikTok videos of people showing the same thing. I feel like the people are throwing away the memories and history of the family.
BUT some somethings can be thrown out or donated and I understand that. No one in the family wants it or it is broken so it can be thrown away. I am not a decorator for my home, nor will I ever probably be. It is just not me. While we are (SLOWLY) making a tiny bit of progress moving into my parent's old house, they still have a lot of stuff to get rid of or move somewhere else. We are keeping family heirlooms like handmade dressers or an old kitchen cabinet made from crates when ancestors moved from across the ocean. I find the history of those things intriguing.
For moving into my parent's house, there are things that I want to do, but it is not a need. Like remodeling the master bathroom. My mom and I painted the guest bathroom. Wanting to put in new flooring. These are wants not needs because the bathrooms are fine and functional. The flooring is great. We cleaned the carpets and they look great. Hadn't been cleaned in over 20 years. But we want to make it our own, which is understandable.
Before I spend a lot of money or spend money at all, I try to decide if it is a need or a want so I can save. Because of my medical issues, I have not been able to work much besides working a part-time job and substitute teaching. This has opened my eyes to how much I spend on "useless" items in my life.
Something in my life that I cannot live without is Jesus. Without Him, I would not be here today. He has saved my life (more times than I can count) and also healed me in more ways than one. He is a Need and a Want. I need Him to survive my day-to-day life and I want Him because I know He is the Savior and Light of the World. Philippians 4:19 says "God will supply our needs, but He never promised to meet all our wants." God will give us the things that we need to survive, but that doesn't mean we will always get what we want, which can be a hard thing to understand and learn.
"Want is about the present and convenience. Need is about the future and sustainability."
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