Four Fundamental Questions Every Human Asks

I believe there are four basic questions, four basic needs that people have today. These aren’t the only ones out there, but these are four of the foundational questions we all ask:

Do I belong? Is there a place where I’m wanted, where I’m accepted, where I’m valued? Where I’m known and loved? That used to automatically be the family but that’s not a given anymore. People need to belong.

Can I change? People want to know if they can overcome their current circumstances. We know we’re messing things up. We know we need to get better. We desperately want our situation in life to improve. The first thing we usually think about is money, but it’s more than that. Can I change my broken relationships? Can I change my attitude? Can I overcome my economic situation and have a better quality of life? Many people look around them at their lot in life and say, “This isn’t good. This isn’t what I want. There must be more than this. Can I change?”

Do I matter? This is a deep need, one planted deep inside of us by God himself. We all want to know that our lives matter. That we’re here for a purpose. That we’re not just hurtling through space as a result of some cosmic accident. We all want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, to convince ourselves that our lives actually have purpose.

Can I be right with God? This is a need we all feel and sense throughout our lives. You don’t even need to be religious to have this need. The book of Ecclesiastes states that God has placed eternity in our hearts. We intuitively sense that there is some type of higher power out there, some Grand Designer behind this intricately complex universe. The question is: if we were created, who created us and why? What do we need to do to be right with our Creator? Now obviously we believe we know the answer from Scripture, but this is a need that isn’t just found in the church. People everywhere are trying to answer, “Can I be right with God?” and “How?”

QUESTION: Have you seen these four needs in your own life?