What Rates High on Your Hierarchy of Needs Scale?

What inspires western civilizations to put so much emphasis on the need for happiness? As basic physiological and safety needs are secured, more attention is given to happiness and the need for comfort and pleasure. When basic needs are threatened, happiness drops on the priority scale.

If you were to rate your happiness on a scale of zero to ten, what would be your actual score? Psychologist Abraham Maslow devised a hierarchy of needs scale, with physiological and safety needs coming first and the need for love and belonging being next. Yet, belonging to a family or other relationships may not generate happiness.

The wonderful thing about true happiness is, it’s contagious. Matthew 5:21 tells of a landowner who was so pleased with his servants that he invited them to share in his happiness. You can invite others to share in the happiness you enjoy as a Christian and in what it means to a be a son or daughter of the Lord God. 

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I hear about your faith in our Lord Jesus and about your love for all of God’s people. As you share your faith with others, I pray that they may come to know all the blessings Christ has given us. My friend, your love has make me happy and has greatly encouraged me. It has also cheered the hearts of God’s people.

~Philemon 1:5-7 Contemporary English Version

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Open Minds and New Ways - Part 3

The movie, The Winslow Boy is about a fourteen-year-old boy who was expelled from the British Royal Naval College after being accused of theft. The script presented a collision of values in British society and demonstrated the way each character dealt with facts and truth, as well as the nature of their core being that needed transforming.

Transformation awakens and creates values. Psychologist Abraham Maslow wrote, "Many problems disappear or could easily be resolved by staying in conformity with one's values. Honesty with oneself and clear knowledge of one's character are prerequisites to trustworthy moral decisions."

In the case of The Winslow Boy, justice was overridden by doing what was right, which demonstrated God’s mercy and kindness. Through God's grace and faith in Christ Jesus we are made righteous in God's sight. If you receive justice, what you deserve, what do you get?  We’re redeemed by God's righteousness, which gives us hope and determination to make choices pleasing to Christ Jesus.  

Shaping Life Scripts at the Crossroads - Part 2

Ben Johnson was offered a major role in the movie, "The Last Picture Show," but refused to play the part because of the script’s dirty language. He finally agreed to take the role when he was allowed to delete language he opposed. He believed foul language wasn’t necessary for an outstanding script. Ben Johnson won an Oscar for his performance in that movie.

He knew he alone was accountable to God for his self-esteem, integrity, and conscience; therefore, he refused to condone filthy language. Psychologist Abraham Maslow said, “The lower one's self-esteem, the greater will be a person's loneliness, unhappiness, and interpersonal incompetence." Foolish, reckless choices damage self-esteem.

Psalm 1 describes the benefits of choosing wisely. “The righteous prosper, but not the wicked. They are like chaff that the wind blows away. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” Like Ben Johnson, you will stand at the crossroads to confront your choices. God will give you wisdom to choose his righteousness.

Through the Lens of Confidence: Transformation - Part 3

Some time ago I was talking with a woman in her late thirties who had just attended her twenty year high school class reunion. She related how exciting it was to renew contact with former classmates. Unexpectedly, the night of the class reunion brought some pleasant surprises. Her former classmates gave her affirmation after affirmation of how important a role model she had been for them.

Although the troubles and sorrows of life had diminished the confidence she once projected to others, she could sense it returning just being around these friends. Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of prayer, gave her the courage to face her struggles and fight for a healthier existence.

That class reunion proved to be what psychologist Abraham Maslow called a peak experience, a high point in life that renews hope and faith in one's self. This woman could see how God was at work to help her change and move on to greater accomplishments in her life. It is God's desire for us to change, to mature, and to have hope and plans for a brighter future.