The Provider of Self-Actualization

 

Jehovah Jireh: The Provider of Self-Actualization

 Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called the heavenward in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

                When God created the world, He had devised a plan to have a universe where Man could live in total harmony with each other and most importantly, have a relationship with Him as his Creator. Being made in the image of God meant that man was not God nor equal to Him, but was created in God’s likeness. Therefore, when Lucifer thought that he could be equal to God, he was out of divine order. When we come to understand that we are made in God’s image, we can also believe that we were created for a purpose. Psalm 138:8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands. (NIV) God’s purpose for our lives outweigh any personal goals and achievements because His will is to be done. We must allow Him to guide our lives and in so doing, we will achieve self-actualization through the Spirit and not as the world perceives it to be.

               The world says that we must have this many car, the fanciest home, and designer clothes. Countless people have achieved all of these material things and yet, they have not achieved self-actualization because once they get these things, they feel the need to obtain more.  Therefore, they never reach total satisfaction and the rat race forever continues. However, we should not align our thoughts about ourselves as the world would have them, but as Jehovah Jireh would have us to because He is the one who created and provides for us. Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)

 

               When we are in the will of God, that is when we can have self-fulfillment. Nothing can give you a sense of self-actualization as knowing that you are doing what is pleasing to God. It is not about being perfect or never doing anything wrong. It is about knowing that we have a God who provides us with forgiveness, so that we can pass knowing that we are not failures in Christ despite our mistakes is to have the ultimate sense of accomplishment. God uses our mistakes to turn us into masterpieces, and through Jehovah Jireh’s provisions, we have all we need to be fulfilled in Him.   2 Corinthians 13:5-7 ⁽⁵⁾Examine yourselves to see whether you are in faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test? ⁽⁶⁾And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. ⁽⁷⁾Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. (NIV)