Continue to Satisfy Your “Spiritual Need”

1. Jehovah has created us with what basic needs? (Matthew 5:3)

JEHOVAH has created humans with certain basic needs. For example, to sustain our life, we need food, clothing, and shelter. If we lack any one of these necessities, even for a brief time, life becomes a trial. In addition to creating us with a need for those material things, Jehovah has also created us with a spiritual need. (Read Matthew 5:3.) If we want to be truly happy, we have to be aware of that need and then continue to satisfy it.

2. How would you illustrate what it means to be “conscious” of your “spiritual need”?

² What does it mean to be “conscious” of our “spiritual need”? The original-language expression conveys the idea of being a beggar for the spirit. That phrase creates a powerful mental picture. Imagine a scraggly figure clothed in rags, crouching on the corner of a city street. He is weak from a lack of food, shunned because of his appearance, and exposed to the searing heat of day and to the bitter cold of night. The beggar is keenly aware that he will need help if he is to improve his situation in life. Similarly, someone who is conscious of his spiritual need​—a beggar for the spirit—​will need help to improve his situation. So he is eager to take advantage of the abundant spiritual provisions that Jehovah supplies to those who love Him.

3. What will we discuss in this article?

³ In this article, we will first consider what we can learn from a Phoenician woman who begged Jesus to help her. This account highlights three qualities that must be developed by those who are conscious of their spiritual need. Then we will discuss the examples set by the apostles Peter and Paul as well as King David, who were all spiritual men.

AN EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY, PERSISTENCE, AND FAITH

4. What did a Phoenician woman want from Jesus?

⁴ On one occasion, a Phoenician woman approached Jesus. Her daughter was “cruelly demon possessed.” (Matt. 15:21-28) The woman fell to her knees and begged Jesus for help. This Phoenician woman displayed noteworthy qualities when she approached Jesus. Consider some of these.

5. What qualities did the woman show, and how did Jesus respond? (See also picture.)

⁵ The Phoenician woman showed real humility. Why can we say that? Because she did not take offense when Jesus used an illustration that seemed to liken her to a little dog, perhaps the kind of animal kept as a family pet in a Gentile’s home. How would you have reacted to Jesus’ words and actions? Would you have felt insulted and given up on seeking his help? That is not how the Phoenician woman behaved. She showed not only humility but also persistence. This is evident by the way she continued to beg Jesus for help. What moved her to do so? Her faith in Jesus. In fact, this woman’s faith moved Jesus so deeply that he did something remarkable. Despite having just said that he was sent to help only “the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” Jesus removed the unclean spirit from this Gentile woman’s daughter.

6. What do we learn from the account about the Phoenician woman?

⁶ In order to satisfy our spiritual need, we must develop the same qualities. We must be humble, be persistent, and have strong faith. Only a humble person will persistently beg God for help. We must also have strong faith in Christ Jesus and trust those whom he is using to direct his disciples. (Matt. 24:45-47) Jehovah and his Son are pleased to satisfy the spiritual need of those who display these qualities. (Compare James 1:5-7.) Now let us examine the way Jehovah provides us with spiritual food, clothing, and shelter. We will see what we need to do to gain these necessities by looking at the examples set by the apostles Peter and Paul as well as King David.

LIKE PETER​—REMAIN WELL-FED SPIRITUALLY

7. What commission did Peter receive, but what did he also need to do? Explain. (Hebrews 5:14–6:1)

⁷ Consider the apostle Peter’s example. He was one of the first Jews to recognize that Jesus was the Messiah​—the one whom Jehovah was using to feed His people “sayings of everlasting life.” (John 6:66-68) Before the resurrected Jesus ascended to heaven, he gave Peter this commission: “Feed my little sheep.” (John 21:17) Peter fulfilled that commission faithfully, and Jehovah even used him to write two letters that became part of the Bible. But Peter also needed to nourish himself with spiritual food. For example, he studied the inspired letters that the apostle Paul wrote previously. Peter acknowledged that some of the things Paul wrote about were “hard to understand.” (2 Pet. 3:15, 16) But Peter obviously persisted, having faith that Jehovah would help him to digest, or understand and apply, the “solid food” that Paul had been inspired to serve in his letters.​—Read Hebrews 5:14–6:1.

8. How did Peter respond to new light that was revealed through God’s representative?

⁸ Peter proved that he had faith in Jehovah by obeying the direction he received. For instance, while in the port city of Joppa, Peter had a vision in which God’s representative told him to slaughter and eat animals that, according to the Mosaic Law, were unclean. To the Jews, that direction would have been shocking. At first, Peter responded: “Not at all, Lord, because I have never eaten anything defiled and unclean.” He was then told: “Stop calling defiled the things God has cleansed.” (Acts 10:9-15) Peter got the point. How do we know? Soon after he received the vision, three men sent by the Gentile Cornelius arrived and invited Peter to come and speak to their master. Normally, Peter would never have agreed to enter a Gentile’s house. The Jews considered the Gentiles to be unclean. (Acts 10:28, 29) But Peter immediately accepted the new light that Jehovah had revealed to him. (Prov. 4:18) He preached to Cornelius and his household and had the joy of seeing them accept the truth, receive holy spirit, and get baptized.​—Acts 10:44-48.

9. What are two ways in which we benefit from developing a hearty appetite for solid spiritual food?

⁹ Like Peter, we must regularly feed on the milk, or basic truths, of God’s Word. We must also develop an appetite for solid spiritual food​—truths that may be more difficult to understand. We have to set aside the time and be willing to make the effort to get a deeper understanding of God’s Word, but it’s worth it. Why? We benefit in at least two ways: One, we learn things about Jehovah that deepen our love and respect for him; and two, we feel even more motivated to tell others about our awe-inspiring heavenly Father. (Rom. 11:33; Rev. 4:11) Peter’s example teaches us another lesson: When we receive adjustments in our understanding of God’s Word, we need to be quick to adapt our thinking and actions. Only then will we remain spiritually well-fed and useful to Jehovah.

LIKE PAUL​—REMAIN SPIRITUALLY WELL-CLOTHED

10. What does being spiritually well-clothed involve? (Colossians 3:8-10)

¹⁰ To please God, we must take advantage of another of Jehovah’s provisions: spiritual clothing. What do we mean by that? The apostle Paul wrote that we must “strip off the old personality” and clothe ourselves with “the new personality.” (Read Colossians 3:8-10.) Clothing ourselves in such a way can be an ongoing challenge. Consider Paul’s own example. From a young age, he worked hard to gain God’s favor. (Gal. 1:14; Phil. 3:4, 5) But he lacked accurate knowledge of God’s purpose and was thus in a poor spiritual condition. His ignorance of Christ’s teachings, coupled with pride, made him “an insolent man” who was clothed in negative personality traits.​—1 Tim. 1:13.

11. What flaw did Paul have to work hard to overcome? Explain.

¹¹ Before becoming a Christian, Paul had a hot temper. An account in Acts states that Paul was so angry with the disciples of Jesus that he was “breathing threat and murder” against them. (Acts 9:1) After becoming a Christian, Paul no doubt worked hard to strip off this aspect of his old personality. (Eph. 4:22, 31) Even so, when Paul and Barnabas had an argument, it erupted into “a sharp burst of anger.” (Acts 15:37-39) That was a setback for Paul, but he did not give up. He kept ‘pummeling his body’​—fighting his imperfections—​so as to retain Jehovah’s approval.​—1 Cor. 9:27.

12. What helped Paul to succeed in stripping off negative traits?

¹² Paul was able to succeed in stripping off his negative traits and then in clothing himself with the new personality because he did not rely on his own strength. (Phil. 4:13) Like Peter, Paul depended on “the strength that God supplies.” (1 Pet. 4:11) Still, Paul at times felt like a failure. But when he was discouraged, he thought of the good things his heavenly Father had done for him, and that strengthened his resolve to keep on trying.​—Rom. 7:21-25.

13. How can we imitate Paul?

¹³ We can imitate Paul by recognizing that no matter how long we have been serving Jehovah, we need to keep working at stripping off the old personality and putting on the new personality​—the spiritual clothing that God supplies. If we have a setback​—such as losing our temper or speaking unkindly to someone—​we do not need to view ourselves as a failure. Instead, we should keep pursuing our goal of transforming the way we think and act. (Rom. 12:1, 2; Eph. 4:24) As we do so, however, we must remember a key fact: Unlike literal clothes that are adjusted to fit us, we must adjust ourselves to fit the spiritual clothing that Jehovah supplies. It is only reasonable that we change who we are in order to measure up to God’s requirements.

LIKE DAVID​—REMAIN SPIRITUALLY WELL-SHELTERED

14-15. In what sense does Jehovah provide spiritual shelter for his people? (Psalm 27:5) (See also picture.)

¹⁴ To be truly happy, we need more than spiritual food and spiritual clothing. We also need spiritual shelter. What is that, and how can we be sure to remain under its protection?

¹⁵ King David spoke about the spiritual shelter that Jehovah provides. (Read Psalm 27:5.) Jehovah protects his people from anyone and anything that could permanently harm their faith in Him. How does Jehovah shelter his servants from external threats? He promises that no weapon formed against them will have any success. (Ps. 34:7; Isa. 54:17) Although Satan and his agents are powerful, they are not able to cause us any lasting harm. Even if they take our life, Jehovah will give it back to us in the resurrection. (1 Cor. 15:55-57; Rev. 21:3, 4) Jehovah also helps us to cope with internal anxieties that have the potential to cause us lasting harm. (Prov. 12:25; Matt. 6:27-29) And our loving Father provides us with a spiritual family of brothers and sisters who support us and with elders who shepherd us. (Isa. 32:1, 2) When we meet together, we are often reminded of specific ways we can take advantage of Jehovah’s protection.​—Heb. 10:24, 25.

16. In what ways did Jehovah protect David?

¹⁶ When David obeyed Jehovah, he was protected from the harm that comes to those who sin willfully. (Compare Proverbs 5:1, 2.) By contrast, when David ignored God’s standards, Jehovah did not shelter him from the consequences of his actions. (2 Sam. 12:9, 10) What about the times when David suffered through no fault of his own? David poured out his heart to Jehovah in prayer, and Jehovah eased David’s anxiety by reassuring him that He loved him dearly and would care for him.​—Ps. 23:1-6.

17. How can we imitate David?

¹⁷ We can imitate David by seeking Jehovah’s counsel when we make decisions. We also recognize that we may at times suffer hardship, not because Jehovah has failed to shelter us, but because we have made poor decisions. (Gal. 6:7, 8) And when we face trials through no fault of our own, we pour out our heart to Jehovah in prayer, trusting that he will guard our hearts and our thoughts.​—Phil. 4:6, 7.

CONTINUE TO SATISFY YOUR SPIRITUAL NEED

18. What challenge do we face, and how can we continue to satisfy our spiritual need? (See also pictures.)

¹⁸ Our 2026 yeartext states: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.” That is true today more than ever. Why? Because we are surrounded by unhappy people who deny that they have such a need or who try to satisfy that need in their own way through false religion or human philosophy. We must avoid letting their attitude influence us. How? By nourishing ourselves with the spiritual food that Jehovah provides, by clothing ourselves with the new personality, and by seeking shelter in the protection that Jehovah supplies.