Psychologist A.H. Maslow introduced the concept of a hierarchy of needs because he believed that everyone has the same basic set of needs, & attempts to satisfy them in order of importance, beginning with the bottom of the pyramid & moving upward. Christian author, Joseph Aldrich, took this chart & began matching man’s needs with God’s solutions when we become believers.
Starting at the base with physiological needs, our most basic needs are for life’s necessities of food, clothing, & shelter. Jesus cautions against obsessing over those things because your Heavenly Father knows you need them. If you seek first His kingdom & righteousness, these things will be added to you as well (Matt. 6:31-33). But don’t just wait for handouts—if you’re able to earn your bread, then work (2 Thess. 3:10). But God is ultimately the one who supplies your needs (Phil. 4:19).
Contrary to modern charlatans who teach a “prosperity gospel” of health & wealth, God doesn’t promise us an abundance of physical provision, but as David observed, “…I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread” (Ps. 37:25). Even many at the “poverty level” in America still have more comforts & conveniences than most of the world, & even ancient kings. “Poverty” in biblical times was to be truly destitute, with barely the clothes on your back. Jesus balances those material concerns by reminding us that life doesn’t consist in an abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15). Paul cautions that we can be content with food & clothing (1 Tim. 6:8).
God doesn’t promise a trouble-free life, but for those who hope in Him, He “gives strength to the weary & increases the power of the weak”(Is. 40:29-31). Jesus gives rest to the heavy laden (Matt. 11:28). While on earth, Jesus focused on miracles of healing (Matt. 4:23). We’re not guaranteed such healing, but we are invited to pray for it (James 5:16). God allowed Paul to endure afflicition, but provided grace & strength to endure (2 Cor. 1:9, Phil. 4:13). In fact, when we have too much wealth, we tend to forget God (Prov. 30:8-9). No matter what deprivation or discomfort we experience in this body, it’s temporary & insignificant compared to what God will be doing for us in eternity.
Next on the pyramid comes the need for safety & security. God offers us safety as we look to Him as our bodyguard (Ps. 91:14-15). When Jesus & His disciples were in a boat out in the middle of the lake while a storm was raging, threatening to sink them, Jesus was sleeping. When the disciples woke him up, they cried, “Don’t you care if we drown?” He calmed the storm, & asked them, “Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:37-40).
Believers still go through storms like everyone else. God doesn’t wrap us in invisible bubble wrap. But then again, we have no idea how many times the Lord has protected us from tragedies. He’s still in the boat with us—the rock we can cling to in the storm (Ps. 18:2). No trouble can separate us from His love (Rom. 8:35-37). Most of all, He keeps us safe from the Evil One. He may not always stop one of the Devil’s human agents from harming us or causing us loss in some way, but the ultimate protection comes in protecting us from our spiritual enemies (John 10:10).
God grants peace of mind in times of anxiety. If you find yourself constantly worrying & nervous, you can claim the promise that the Lord is near, & only a prayer away. His peace is beyond human understanding, & able to guard your heart & mind (Phil. 4:5-6). That doesn’t mean God takes away all the sources of stress in your life. But when we understand His love for us, & that He’s in control & on our side, then we can relax in His supernatural peace (John 14:27).
If there’s one thing that goes along with anxiety, it’s fear. Healthy fear causes us to flee from a ferocious dog. But unhealthy fears are self-induced. “What if?” fears are worries we’re invited to give over to Him, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7). “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). When you fear God, you fear no evil (Ps. 23:4). We don’t fear the future, because God is already there! Even the fear of death is gone for the believer (Heb. 2:15).
As we ascend Maslow’s pyramid, we see that God knows what we need better than we know ourselves, & knows how to meet those needs in ways that transcend our limited perspectives. We’ll move higher next time & finish with the ache for love & belonging, the hunger for esteem, & the summit of self-actualization—each level finding its satisfaction in the One who designed us to be dependent on Him as the source of all good gifts–physiological, psychological, & spiritual (James 1:17).