Needs Vs. Wants

I love music!
There, I said it.

We as missionaries don't listen to the radio or anything that is not done by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir so as to invite the spirit and keep ourselves focused on our work. There are few ways better to invite the spirit and dwell on happy and uplifting thoughts then as you are listening to music of a calm nature.

The music that I loved before my mission though was usually of a more of a... uh, less then spiritual nature. I enjoy my rock and roll, my alternative, my industrial music, my metalcore, even the occasional hip-hop track. Still, there are other things I would rather have in my life more. In my life I NEED the spirit and a positive attitude, but I only WANT the other stuff.

The famous set of lyrics come to mind at this universal truth:

You cant always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need!

Even the Rolling Stones Know This Gospel Principle

Our Father in Heaven wants to give us all the he has, and has prepared his kingdom for us as his children to inherit and enjoy. He wants us to be happy, wants us to grow and experience life to the fullest. He is willing to give us so many blessings and gifts and all we need to do is ask for them and be worthy of them. Our temporal life is blessed through him as well as our spiritual lives. He is willing to give us what we want (like playing with neighborhood friends), but he is more concerned with what we need (keeping us and our friends out of the busy street) as any loving parent would be, even at the sadness of the child. Its all a matter of perspective in this case.

Jesus talked about taking no thought of things that didn't really matter in Matthew 6:25,31-34 saying, "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" Some things really matter, and others just don't quite cut it in the long run. Because of this, even though I miss Green Day, System of a Down, The Offspring and a host of others, I choose to focus on things that really matter most and trade in something I want for something I really need.

All of us can choose between Wants and Needs or Good and Better, and its my hope that we can all take a look at ourselves and focus on things that matter most.