Chasing False Needs Versus Resting in Realityਨਮੂਨਾ

God and The Big 5

The Big 5—the five broad categories of false needs that any human has. They’re each like a giant carrot dangling forever out of reach; they are impossible goals. We will never be in complete control, do everything perfectly, have all the answers, always be there for others, or consistently impress everyone we meet. But—there is someone who can and does. The Big 5 are not only the five core false needs of every human; they are the five core character traits of God.

God is in control. From nature (Psalm 135:6-7) to nations (2 Chronicles 20:6), His plans never fail.

God is perfect, and His ways are perfect (Psalm 18:30).

God is omniscient, knowing everything. His understanding is far beyond our own (Psalm 147:5).

God is omnipresent—there for everyone all the time (Psalm 139).

God gives us approval through His work, not our striving (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The Big 5 are the reasons we worship God! When I am no longer striving for them, I am correctly oriented as a human before an almighty God who is uniquely defined by these characteristics.

Chronic anxiety is generated in us when we try to take on the character traits of God that are His alone. It pushes us towards something we can never attain. The point is—anxiety becomes a marker that something other than my identity in Christ is at work: a false self that depends on me, not Jesus. A false self that puts us on a path to death, not life. When we are able to notice when anxiety shows up, we can use that as an indicator to ‘right-size’ ourselves before an amazing and Almighty God. Our freedom is found not by trying harder to attain these false needs but by resting in the truth that God is already carrying them all!

God is God; we are human. Understanding the Big 5, not just as our broad false needs but also as the unique attributes of God, helps us recognize the futility of trying to attain the qualities that are His.

Our freedom is found not by trying but by dying—dying to these false needs and surrendering ourselves to the transforming power of Christ. When we get off the anxiety treadmill, pause, and reflect on who God is and who we are in Him, our hearts are filled with gratitude, and worship becomes the natural response.

Why does trying harder generate anxiety?

What does it mean to be human-sized? Do you find relief or frustration in being exactly human-sized?

What attribute of God do you want to worship today?