Continuing in our somewhat odd series for this time of the year, F.E.A.R., we are going to dive into a problem that plagues our current culture and is a byproduct of the American Dream!
The spiritual struggle of mankind is a battle from birth revolving around fear. It is woven into the most basic universal human needs and reveals itself from the very beginning of life.
Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, published a hierarchy of needs in 1943 in a paper titled, A Theory of Human Motivation. In these needs, we find the three components of every human’s fight for survival and motivation behind action.
What’s fascinating is that we see them reflected in the first temptation of mankind in the garden and then again in the temptation of Jesus in the desert.
First, Maslow’s hierarchy lays out as follows (with the foundation listed first): 1) physiological needs, 2) safety and security, 3) love and belonging, 4) self-esteem, and finally 5) self-actualization.
We see the list beginning with the most basic of needs like food, clothing and shelter then moving up to health, family, and employment. The third stage includes intimate connections and deep relationships, followed by self confidence and personal achievement. The final tier in the hierarchy delves into the inner most parts of a person where we find needs like meaning, purpose, creativity and morality.
The nature behind this pyramid is that a sequential layer of needs CANNOT be met before the layer before. Once the previous need is met, the higher needs can be realized and pursued.
This coincides so well to the temptations we find in scripture as well as what you and I face in our life on earth.
The serpent comes to Eve and hits right at the most basic and foundation survival need - food. As that is brought into question, the higher needs get tossed and turned creating disorder in the woman’s spirit bringing into question things she has never before questioned.
Next, the attack seems to run the spectrum as the serpent thwarts the mindset from abundance to scarcity and goes to the top of the pyramid, aiming at that final need of self-actualization and purpose.
So, now, things are really spinning and the pressure is intense as the serpent strikes an ambush of intellectual catastrophe that leaves the victim reeling not only about physical survival and meaning in life but also wondering about the intimacy of relationships (3), personal achievement (4) but also safety and security (2).
She questions the things she LACKS which pushes her to scramble for control. In doing so, she forfeits the abundance she has already been given. Here it’s mind over matter in a very negative sense. (Genesis 3 tells the story.)
Jesus faces this same attack as the enemy hits him with the opportunity to take control of his life and satisfy the natural longings of his humanity - physical survival, safety, relational connectedness, achievement, and purpose. (Matt 4 has the account.)
When we find ourselves fighting this battle it is important to do a quick ABC check:
- Acknowledge the fight. We have to step back and realize what is happening. Eve had no idea what was going on. Jesus understood what was at hand, what he had, and what was being threatened.
- Believe in Jesus. Trust that God is Builder of the Pyramid of Needs as well as the supplier. H has the capacity to provide as well as already given you all you need.
- Choose to fight. Jesus didn’t passively sit by and wait for destruction nor did he search for rationales or answers. He already knew and chose to rise above. He also was prepared in advance.
Another term for this FEAR that causes us to FORGET EVERYTHING ABOUT RESURRECTION is what is known as the “Scarcity Mindset.” This is a fear of LACK, the very thing that sunk Eve in the garden and what Jesus faced in the desert.
I know it feels like you’re missing something at times and the enemy does a great job of lying to us about what that is. Jesus tells us (through one conversation with a guy suffering in this battle - Matt 19), the only thing lacking is faith in God. The problem is that we’ve put too much hope and confidence in the things of this world which leave us longing for more and holding onto them for dear life!
Time to put the ABC’s into practice and kick F.E.A.R. back to Hell.
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Brett
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