Needing Nothing but God

 

 James 1:2-4 (NLT)
“2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

The “masquerade of calm” is that brief reprieve where it feels like you can finally catch a breath. You sense something that resembles stability, but in the back of your mind, you know it’s only temporary. Even these moments are confusing because you don’t know whether to hang on to the calm or use that time to prepare for the crazy that comes next. Wondering if it will ever end and thinking there’s no real solution for everything you’re going through, you acquiesce to the norm—a way functioning in hopelessness that allows you to get by.

What do you do when your life feels like someone’s dust rag, and it’s all because you’re trying to love them? You don't feel valuable or seen by anyone, and the one that matters most has turned on you to such a degree that being in their presence feels like an act of self-preservation on every level. Why does trying to love someone cost us so much?

When life has pushed us to this place in our minds and hearts, although we might not realize it, our whole being is broadcasting desperation. It seeps into our words, our choices, and even the way we carry ourselves. We may try to mask it with a brave face, but deep down, the weight of feeling unseen and devalued is taking its toll. And the harder we try to hold it together, the more fragile we become. Proverbs 18:14, (NLT) says: “The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit?” A wounded heart can survive for a while on sheer willpower, but without healing, that desperation will shape how we see ourselves and what we believe we deserve.

“Love is not supposed to hurt.” How many times have you heard this, but does its truth really land on you? Sometimes we’re so weighed down by sadness and overwhelmed by life that even simple truths seem too small to touch the depth of our pain. Although this is our perspective, it’s not the truth. It’s the lens from which we view our own lives, and when it clashes with what God says about us and how He loves us, our perspective must shift. 1 John 3:1 (NLT) reminds us: “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” God’s love is never meant to break us; it’s meant to heal, restore, and affirm our worth as His beloved children.

The thing that gets us is this feeling that life is just a never-ending cycle of hurt. It’s that closed-in, isolated, weary, and worried place where you’re constantly reminded of everything you’ve been through and wondering if they’ll be on repeat. The reality is that we’re needing nothing but God, and every nook and cranny of our existence must acknowledge this—not just in word but in a way that makes room for His light to flood every hidden place in our lives. This is where our need is greatest, but we must be fully convinced of the truth that Jesus Christ is the answer to our desperation. Nothing and no one can give us the true, lasting peace our souls crave except our blessed Lord, and He is always willing and able to do it.

Relationships can take a toll and sometimes cause us to feel drained, unseen, and unable to get out of the cycle of emotional exhaustion. We pour ourselves out, hoping for understanding, affirmation, or even just a moment of peace, yet too often, we are left empty. The truth is that no amount of striving, distraction, or human effort can truly lift us from this place, and a masquerade of calm is not going to comfort our hearts. Our empty and wounded places beckon us to seek the Father. 1 Peter 5:7, (NLT) tells us: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” Our Heavenly Father’s love is personal, ever-present, and powerful enough to restore us. We simply must trust Him with all our hearts.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Needing Nothing but God”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2025. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.