I Just Need You
Every morning I begin the day in the same way. First, I praise God for another day and ask Him to guide me through my actions and conversations that I have with others. Then I ask Google to play one of my favorite worship songs. Lately, the request has been for “I Just Need You” by TobyMac. When the bass line hits I feel fired up and am ready to conquer the day. This song is my daily reminder that the only thing I need to get through is Jesus. Especially on the days that I am struggling to do everything in my own power.
The song opens with Toby singing about the perils of what happens when we allow the things of the world to define us. The world has us thinking that we can do anything in our own strength which leads us to feeling unfulfilled when we fall short. T. Mac reminds us that most of our days we don’t have enough within ourselves to do the things we think we can, and the vicious cycle repeats itself until we come to grips with the fact that it is only through Christ that we can do anything. Lately, I have found myself in this cycle more often than I would care to admit.
It seems that the more I accomplish, the more I think I can do. This is when I start to rely on myself and not God. I get to a point where I think I am the one who is making things happen, until I begin to find myself exhausted and in need of help. I have been living in this state for the past couple of months, hence, the reason “I Just Need You” has become my anthem. When I get to the point of feeling rundown and discouraged, I find myself calling out to God, “I just need you!” I have learned just how faithful God is in these moments because as soon as I surrender and return to Him, He lifts me up and sustains me.
Another reason I love this song is one of my favorite verses is quoted—Psalm 23. I lean on verses 1-4 when I am walking through difficult times. In the CSB version of the Bible they read, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.” These verses serve as an incredible reassurance that I don’t have to do everything in my strength. When I allow God to define and guide me, I have all I need.
As I soak in the lyrics of this song, my soul awakens with a desire to grow closer to God and remain in Him. I am reminded that I don’t have to rely on the ways of the world to define me or to accomplish things because I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me.
Stephanie Patterson is originally from Denver, Colorado, and has called Las Vegas home since 2013. She has been married to her incredibly supportive and patient husband, Gabriel, since 2008. Her blended family includes 3 children – 2 adult children living productively on their own (hallelujah!), and a spunky, creative pre-teen who keeps her on her toes. Stephanie became a mother at a young age, and in her late 30s, is finally figuring out who she is. What she has discovered about herself, thus far, is she loves to read, write, cook/bake, and nap. What she has always known is that her heart belongs to God, and she feels called to connect with people who need help seeing that God loves and accepts them as they are. Stephanie is looking forward to sharing her life experiences and hopes to connect with others through the grace and glory of God.