Many years ago as a college student one of the core classes we were required to take was sociology. That was when we learned about Man’s Hierachy of Needs. Abraman Maslow was an American Psychologist who lived from 1908 to 1970. His Hierachy of Needs was a theory of psychological health that he considered necessary for individuals to receive self fulfillment.
The hierachy of five needs was usually illustrated by using a pyramid visual. The bottom part or foundation of the pyramid were physical needs such as food, water, warmth and rest. Once these needs are met the next need rising up the pyramid to tier two is security and safety. Once these two tiers of needs ,or basic needs, are met then we get into two tiers of psychological needs. The third tier is belonginess and love needs such as intimate relationships or relationships with friends.
Then after all these needs are met we move to the forth tier of esteem needs which include prestige and a feeling of accomplishment. Finally our fifth and final tier is self fulfillment needs which is defined as acheiving one’s full potential including creative activities.
These five needs all bring positive benefits to our selves. Could it be that Maslow overlooked another of our needs and that need is to serve others. We realize that the argument can be made that some people are to selfish to help others but that does not prove it is not a basic need. Some people need to stop smoking before it destroys their health and will not, but it is still a need for them.
Christians might be able to readily recognize that helping others is a basic need. We know little about Jesus’s life before he began his three year ministry but we know he spent three years serving others in his ministry. He preached the gospel giving us rules or commandments to live by to help us find happpiness. Some people claim that rules or commandments restrict their freedom. Ask someone who was caught commiting adultery and lost his or her family, the respect of friends and is alienated from family if commiting adultery brought them freedom. Ask someone in prison if violating the law brought them freedom.
Jesus healed the sick, cast out devils, forgave sins of the repentant and counseled sin burdened people. Consider the woman taken in adultery whom he saved from being stoned to death and recognizing that she was sorrowful for her sins forgave her. He aslo cautioned her to go and sin no more so she could retain a remission of her sin.
Jesus taught us two great commandments which were to love god with all our might and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Neighbor was not confined to people in our neighborhoods. In one of Jesus’s Parables which we refer to as tha Parable of the Good Samaritan a Samaritan rescued someone he did not know.,
If we love God we will obey his commandments. All of his commandments are designed to bring us happiness and keeping his commandments is serving him. So maybe Maslow missed another need and that is serving God. Jesus said the second great commandment is serving our fellow man and is like unto the first. When we understand the concept of serving our fellow man is also serving God’s children we get a glimpse of a need in our lives.
How do we serve our fellow man? We once heard of a spiritual advisor counseling another spiritual advisor to expect every one he met to have some major challenges in life and would usually be right. Some just need a friend to talk to. Some need someone to encourage them and others have more complex problems. If you consdier serving your fellow man your life’s mission we can promise you will have a busy life. We can also promise you a life filled with happiness.
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