Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
What Motivates Fulfillment
Dictates means something you must do. There are two physical “dictates” that I take seriously and seek to endeavor in my personal life: (1) I read every day. Why? Because in our lifetime, once, the laws on the books, made it illegal for a person like me to read. (2) I sit at the front of the room whenever space is available. Why? Because it was also illegal for a person like me to sit at the front of the room or go through the front doors. Psychologically, I am sure there is a therapist, somewhere, who would care to analyze my behavior as a direct response to my need under non-threatening conditions. Still, these are choices which gives a degree of personal fulfillment.
Besides this, just as I am adamant about these dictates, I have my spiritual dictates. Summative, I cannot afford to lose out on opportunities of choice which leads to obedience as a fulfillment. This is beyond self-actualization.
What is Self-Actualization?
In this modern age, there is much “noise” about realizing yourself. It is a popular topic for various reasons. Self-actualization is the focus on self-awareness. It is described as an understanding of who you are, your values, and your true potential (Britannica).
Truly, there can be positive reasons for these concepts. For example, a movement toward recognizing how each person is unique.
As a retired Educational Specialist, I remember the excitement in studying psychology courses. It was the connection between my two worlds of business and education theories that drove us to ask more questions than answer. Notably, from that time, our influencers still include the work of Abraham Maslow’s Theory and Kurt Goldstein.
Quoting from Britannica, Maslow presented a hierarchy of needs that describes how a person’s “lower,” more basic needs must be met before “higher” needs emerge. At the bottom of this hierarchy are physiological needs, such as food. The need for a person to feel safe and unthreatened comes next; once safety needs are met, according to Maslow, a person moves next to the need to feel love, affection, and belongingness. What Maslow called esteem needs follow: a person seeks self-respect and the respect of others. Once all of these levels of needs are met, a person can pursue, and will be motivated to achieve, self-actualization. (Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.) Furthermore, according to Maslow, rarely does a person arrive at the self-actualization level.
The Marketing of Self
Higher on the charts of today, are top influencers from social media platforms. Across platforms, people are searching to realize themselves. The result is billions of dollars spent to promote self and values among social communities. It seems to be “the thing” that will bring peace and comfort among chaos or uneasiness.
Admittedly, there are modern psychologists and others who now relay and reinforce some Biblical principles to support self-actualization strategies, i.e., the need for developing community relationships to dispel depression. But, that means, some techniques, studies, or influencers may have “caught up” with the Word of God!
The Obedient Heart
In me, this flesh, the Word of God says, “There is no good thing (Romans 7:18).” Even in the marketplace of today that promotes self-actualization as a business, self-actualization is not obedience. Only through the obedience of the heart will you become.
First, there is only One who knows your heart. That is, of course, the One who created you. Consequently, to actualize who you are, is to trust God who commanded the light and drew us out of darkness. We are totally dependent upon Him to show us what is in the heart.
The Good-Hearted
Every day, I make choices, i.e., what to eat, what to wear, where to go, who to see, etc. To each individual, the choice is given “Who will you serve?” Who do you honor? God knows who honors Him with the lip or who honors Him from the heart. God knows the heart; a devised plan of His to purify the vilest heart (1 Samuel 2:9). God sees the heart through the cleansing of the blood of Jesus, that is the purification.
Today, right now, in all the noise, the choice is simply between evil and good; obedience or disobedience. Obedience is a heart matter – the sum total of what we see, hear, think, feel, or go.
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