The Gift of the Outsider: 6 Days of Faith From the MarginsSample

The Gift of Lack and Limits

Sometimes we find ourselves on the outside not because of who we are, but because of what we lack.

We were made to depend on God and on each other, but self‐sufficiency—so highly prized by our culture—often threatens this. Contrary to our design, we associate needing help with feeling shame; instead of guiding us to God, limited resources propel us to self‐pity or pretense. Yet those who have known scarcity and met God in its midst become rich, regardless of an increase in their material resources. Those whose bodies give frequent reminders of human frailty and finitude don’t live under the deception of endless days or energy—and often their hearts are more receptive to humankind’s call to community.

God wants us to seek Him to meet our needs. When we neglect to come to Him and turn instead to lesser things, He is displeased—meanwhile, our efforts to circumvent Him are fruitless, because only God provides true sustenance.

God tirelessly says, “Come,” so that he may meet all our needs “according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). He longs to be leaned on.

Needs

Many of us go through life unaware of just how needy we are.

With our emergency funds and access to healthcare and every other security middle‐class Americans enjoy our innate neediness is often out of mind. Our lives are stable. Tragedy is unthinkable. We feel we’re invincible—but we’re not, and though excess allows us to forget this truth, lack unmasks it. Though we may experience lack, it doesn’t tell the whole story of who we are. We are not lacking because we lack. We are simply human; only God is self‐sufficient. Lack reminds us of the disquieting truth that there is nothing in this world we can cling to that cannot be taken away.

Limits

In addition to denying our neediness when it comes to material possessions, we are also reluctant to share the other ways we might need help.

When we face limits, asking for help can take courage, can force us to confront feelings of shame about needing help in the first place, and can test what we really believe about our community and its purpose.

Conclusion

God is not pleased, enjoyed, or honored when we blow past our limits and act like gods. Recognizing our limits is not just assenting to the reality of who we are as finite but to who God is as limitless. Fierce independence is not just a rejection of our design but of His grace. Yet when limits are embraced for the gifts they are, they shield us from needless toil and usher us into a world of God-honoring, neighbor‐uplifting interdependence.

Reflection

Read Psalm 90:12 and James 4:13. Which one of these mindsets best aligns with your natural tendencies?

Are you more likely to be vocal about your needs or keep them to yourself? If you’re more likely to keep them to yourself, what makes you hold back?