What if…
In his 1943 paper titled “A Theory of Human Motivation,” Abraham Maslow changed the direction of the study of human psychology. Maslow asserted that people must meet particular “needs” before arriving at the pinnacle of human potential. These needs were our requirements for food, shelter, security, belonging, love, etc. He theorized that ultimately a person would be incomplete until they “self-actualized,” meaning that they understood their purpose and attained it.
However, counselors and therapists use the theory to recognize when clients are not meeting their more basic/biological needs—acknowledging that it inhibits a person’s integration into the rest of the world. In other words, someone can’t discover their purpose if they are starving. The logic is if a person does not have shelter, they will never realize their self-worth, and if they never realize their self-worth, they will never feel compelled to create or discover their purpose. And for these individuals, their lives will eventually degrade into lethargy and apathy until they meet their basic needs.
I couple this knowledge with a quote from George Orwell and his classic novel 1984. “Men can only be happy when they do not assume that the object of life is happiness” (George Orwell, 1984). What if the purpose of life is not to pursue happiness? As if happiness is something to be bought or attained. But instead, what if life were about finding meaning and discovering your full potential?
I see a lot of people searching for happiness. They try to create happiness with experiences, possessions, and prestige. However, I am confident that these things don’t actually provide happiness. There are many wealthy and affluent people that are miserable and cheerless. Even more tragic is that some people believe they can change some of their external attributes, which will inherently change their internal problems. However, it is not external issues that provide happiness; it has never been and never will be. What if there was another way to live?
Matthew 6:32-34 – “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
“For the Gentiles,” should be read as “those without God;” helping us better understand this sentence as “for those without God eagerly seek these things.” Those without God eagerly seek to change their external attributes, the clothing that they wear, and the food that they eat. Jesus instructs his followers not to worry about these things. For those that have God, they first seek His Kingdom, meaning they pursue a divine purpose. They pursue righteousness, and “all of these things” will be added to them. God knows we need these things; your Father knows!
It is counter-intuitive to Maslow’s theory, but instead of pursuing these basic needs, we trust in God to provide them for us. We then use our time pursuing His purpose, which in turn gives us purpose, and we attain the highest pinnacle of human existence, not by worrying about the little things but by trusting that God will provide.
There are a lot of people in the world that are seeking their specific unique purpose. They are lost and adrift in the world, aimlessly floating in a sea of possibilities.
What if God’s purpose was our purpose? What if our purpose was to bring godly attributes to earth? What if we followed God instead of seeking happiness, and this is what grants us contentment (1 Timothy 6:6-16)? If pursuing happiness does not actually provide happiness… then why are we chasing these things? What if our culture has it wrong? What if God’s way is the best way? What if…