“Sometimes our ‘needs’ mask a false altruism or a false concern. Needs (real or perceived) often come from fear, not from hope and love. When we name the reason behind the need, then we can deal with the concern instead of a fearful obligation.
If we want God to be glorified, then we need to live lives that proclaim God’s goodness with all our being. When we say it this way, our actions come out of love and not fear. If we don’t name the reason for the perceived need, we end up having (or losing) power over people or over the situation because of the fear created by the ‘need to’ or ‘have to’ statement.”
Bob Brown, pastor of Stahl Mennonite Church in Johnstown, PA, from a Mennonite World Review opinion column titled “God doesn’t need you“