Dichotomy

There is a dichotomy in the church today, between what we sing and what we say. During the worship part of the service (the part where we all sing), we'll sing songs such as:

1. You alone are all I need.
2. All I need is You Lord.
3. You are more than enough.
4. Only you can satisfy.

Then the pastor will get up and preach a sermon about how we need the Body. It will come with a dire warning, that to separate from the Body is to separate from the head. I listened to a sermon just the other day, where the pastor said that when we first come to Christ, it is all about God. But, he continued, if you let that remain your focus, you will fall to ruin and sudden peril. Really! As we mature it becomes God AND People.

Whoa! I'm confused. Is anybody else? I mean we just sang this great song, that has numerous scriptural references backing it up, that God is all we need. Then the sermon focuses on God AND People are all we need. Now which is it? Is God more than enough, or is He less than enough? I for one would like to know.

I think the error may be in the wording and emphasis. The two greatest commandments are to Love God, and Love People. Pretty simple. So maybe the pastor was right, it is God AND People? He even appealed to the passage where God proclaims: "It is not good for man to be alone." I believe that, BUT . . . God will not share his glory with another. He desires to be all you need. He desires that you find everything you could ever desire in His presence.

It is not God AND People. It is God. It is God THEN People. It is People BECAUSE God. It is not God AND People. If we are constantly looking to people to fulfill our needs we are going to become pretty jaded and cynical. Because plain and simple, people will let you down. They have a good track record for letting people down, and I don't think it's going to change any time soon. But if we look to God as the source for all of our needs, then we will never be disappointed. When He meets us in our hurt and pain, and binds up our broken heart, then we cannot help but love others well. It is a cause and effect.