I remember in many instances hearing Christians speak of how much someone ‘needs’ the Lord. Maybe they were speaking of a lost individual that was particularly given over to the devil’s devices. Or, they may have been talking about a Christian brother or sister dealing with a great issue or trouble. In any case, there is a measuring of ‘how much’ the individual might need the Lord.
Obvioulsy, the idea here is dependence. We must depend upon the Lord. And, some are percieved by us to need this more than others. But, is that really accurate? Or is it our own imagination? What do we learn from Scripture?
Jesus speaks of the need to go to the sick rather than the whole in Matthew 9:12. But, in the context he is speaking to a group of people who thought they were perfect. Beyond that, He is speaking of the need to reach these people, not their subjective need for Him in thier lives. In fact, it is Christ that helps us understand how much we need Him in our lives. He speaks to the disciples of sending the Spirit in John 14:16. It is His intention to always be with us.
From studying the lives of successful Christians both in the Bible and history, we see that dependence upon the Lord is paramount. I suggest that reliance upon the Lord is, rather than an indication of need, is an indication of spiritual maturity. Those who are great servants of Christ are those who understand the best just how dependent they are upon Him.
The old hymn has it right, I need Him every hour. There is no Christian on this planet that needs to depend upon or rely upon Christ more than I do. Or more than you do. We all must rely upon Him. We may become more aware of our need, or seem to others to be more needy, but we all need to rely greatly upon the Lord.