“If meeting needs is my primary focus, I’ve missed a foundational step: friendship with the King. To meet any need, I first have to hear God’s whisper about that need.”- Sara Hagerty
“For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”- Matthew 26:19 (NKJV)
In Chapter 8 (“The Needs Around Us: Changing the World at Jesus’ Feet”) of Unseen, Sara Hagerty states we err when thinking of resources as merely transactional. Thus, meeting others’ needs alone isn’t the only, or most important, thing God desires of us.
Yet, Ms. Hagerty asserts, we often subconsciously relate to God in this way. Sara explains:
“We give Him what we perceive to be our obedience yet internally resist a deeper surrender.”
Rather than cycle between the cries of the world and your response, Sara exhorts you to cultivate friendship with God. As you cultivate friendship with God, you learn that:
- it’s the friends of God who truly change the world
- your depth of friendship informs the way you respond to the world’s needs
Furthermore, Ms. Hagerty describes what happens when you give Jesus the best of your affection:
“It’s from that place of connection that I hear His heartbeat for the needs around me and see His perspective on my role. It’s from there, that place of carrying His heart, that I learn when and how to respond.”
As a result, Sara offers six thoughts on how to grow toward what might not feel natural to us: friendship with God. The next three blogs cover those six thoughts.
Today’s question: How does God whisper to you about the needs of the world? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The morning is for Him to hold – me”
