In 1943, American psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed “A Theory of Human Motivation,” which has dominated the field of psychology ever since. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory of motivation in which five categories of human needs dictate an individual’s behavior. Those needs include physical needs, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Maslow’s theory presents his hierarchy of needs in a pyramid shape, with basic needs at the bottom and more high-level, intangible needs at the top.
Maslow reasoned that once our basic needs were met, we could move on to the higher need of self-actualization. At a layman’s level, self-actualization is a lot like being happy. For most of us, pursuing happiness involves gaining power, prestige, and prosperity. We reason that if we had those things in sufficient amounts, we would be happy, but in reality, they are elusive and temporary.
Our goals or pursuits affect how we deal with the world we live in and interpret the events we face daily. Of particular concern are the obstacles and barriers threatening our life pursuits. Most of these barriers are placed in our path by others. Some are self-induced.
Regardless of how the obstacles get there, we understand them to be enemies to be avoided or defeated–maybe just blown up. Volumes have been written on turning life’s bumps into things we climb on. Most heroes of history are women and men who have overcome the bumps in their lives to achieve their goals. However, most of us want them removed as quickly as possible.
As people of faith, we often think of Christ as an added resource when reaching our life pursuits. We reason that the truth of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit give us a leg up in attaining our self-actualization. Consequently, the Christian faith becomes an add-on to our default life pursuits, and God becomes the Cosmic Genie. We now have the privilege (maybe right) to tap into our spiritual resources and use them to achieve our pursuits.
Our view of life obstacles is much the same as our secular neighbor, except we can use spiritual power to remove, overcome, or blow-up unwanted barriers. When that fails, we conclude that God has let us down or we have failed our faith test.
The 24-week SEAL training, called BUD/S, illustrates the pursuit of self-actualization. When a SEAL candidate volunteers to become a SEAL, he must exchange his old view of self-actualization (happiness and comfort) for another (to be an elite SEAL). Without this exchange, the trainee will likely “ring the bell” or “tap out” of the process. For the SEAL candidate, the goal initially is usually survival; make it through the 24 weeks, one meal at a time, without quitting or getting kicked out. For the instructors, however, the hardship and pain have a purpose: to develop qualified SEALs. It is often hard for the BUD/S trainee to appreciate what is happening in him due to what is happening to him.
Twenty-four-week SEAL training is intense, but many people face similar or greater hardships for longer than six months. Holding their breath until it’s over doesn’t work. Even when we add God’s resources to the pursuit of our view of self-actualization, the barriers and hardships remain an inconvenience at best and an enemy at worst.
When our first child, Bryan, was born “with severe complications,” my wife and I thought we could hold on until we could get some good news. Eventually, we learned that there was no treatment, cure, or possibility of normalcy for Bryan and us; no more holding our breath. Now what?
We discovered two crucial truths along our journey. One was from 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is perfected in weakness.” We discovered we didn’t have to hold on because God’s grace was there to hold on to us. We didn’t have to hold our breath; God’s strength would sustain us. God’s grace was sufficient for the moment we were in: for today, not yesterday or tomorrow. Living one day at a time, we experienced increasing shades of victory as his all-sufficient grace became a reality.
The second truth that altered our perspective was to look at our obstacles as God’s opportunity to achieve his purposes. Instead of viewing our obstacles as something to get through, would we embrace them as God’s construction zone for our good and his glory? Embracing God’s view of good is a big “ask” when we are in pain!
God’s promise in Romans 8:28 is that he can take any event along our pathway (including those caused by our foolishness) and use it for our good. The word for good in this passage means profitable rather than comfortable. But then notice the two conditions: a relational commitment (love for God) and a directional commitment (living according to his purpose).
With a new set of life pursuits (knowing, reflecting, and sharing Christ), obstacles take on a different meaning. Instead of asking how quickly we can get through a particular difficulty, we ask how God wants to use it for our “good.” Does he want us to discover some aspect of his nature that will bring him glory? Does he want to transform our character to make us authentic image-bearers? Or does he want us to be ambassadors who draw others to Christ?
“Don’t waste the pain” is a common slogan regarding life’s obstacles. That doesn’t mean we intentionally induce pain as some monastic fathers did. Instead, when pain does come, we can learn to welcome it as a friend rather than an enemy because of our changed life pursuits. Now the old life goals are renewed: power becomes service, prestige becomes influence, and prosperity becomes contribution. I think this is at least part of what Jesus promised in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these (prior pursuits) will be added to you (in a transformed way).”
For Reflection
1. How have you seen God change your life pursuits?
2. Reflect on an unwanted barrier in your life journey that became a pathway for “good.”
I do not remember where I saw this, but it stuck in my head.
“the unbeliever does not esteem the spiritual value of hardship.”