Soul Food

One man Karl Marx argued that religion is the opium of the masses. By this he meant that man finds solace in his pursuit of the Supernatural. Man is by all means a religious being. The tendency to worship and dedicate oneself to some particular revered figure is common to all human. What differs is the one being worshiped and the level of commitment and belief.

Religion has numerous definitions but one that strikes me most is the vertical relationship between the worshiper and his/her god. This is a strong belief in another who is considered powerful than thyself. Thus the Christian who believes in Almighty God, the Muslim who believes in Allah or the traditionalist or Animist who believes in the forces of nature all adhere to a power they consider beyond them. Even the idol, cult worshiper also believes that the idol has in some  way more powers than him/her.

Man has been known to have a number of motivational levels according to Abraham Maslow. Man has a hierarchy of needs. According to Maslow, the physiological needs are the very basic. Man will attempt addressing other needs after the basic needs have been met. As long as the stomach is full, one can actually sleep out in the open. This is followed by security needs then the need for love and belonging.
Its utterly unthought of for human to live on their own. We all need family and friends for psychosocial support. Just like little kids, people need confirmation that they actually belong in a stable social circle. We need to be loved and to be offered a chance to love in return.
After everything is said and done and that one has registered success and wealth, we feel the need to be appreciated and respected. Esteem need is key as it crowns our achievements and in a way validates our social status in front of our peers. People want to feel confident and respected in the company of others.

Up to this point, many people could be smiling cause they have in a way attained all the above. Maslow again goes ahead and talks of another level of human need which is self actualization. Here, the shape of a pyramid Maslow chose makes sense to me as the number of self actualized people is quite low in the whole world. Many have had wealth, have achieved impeccable success in their careers but still they are yet to be self actualized.

How many parents out there have ended up forcing their children to pursue career paths they themselves wished they had? how many doctors, accountants, psychologists, sociologists, lawyers do we have out there and are hardly enjoying their careers? Many. How fast is the practice of yoga taking shape all over the world? The spread of fire on dry savanna cant compare to the speed. People are in dire need of inner peace and satisfaction thus the Asian practice of meditation is gaining popularity world over.

In my opinion, Maslow should have or maybe he did talk of soul food. Self actualization is where people have attained their full potential. These are individuals who have lived life to the fullest. They have in a way satisfied their inner souls.

For some of us who have not yet reached this level of complete peace with thyself, Jesus offers the solution to our lack of inner peace. 
Human beings as we gave seen above are in constant communion with their soul. It is no their fault to want to listen to the inner being. Its because a lot of potential is within. It is argued that if you listen deeply you will find your purpose on earth thus the self actualization desire.
God made us with a reason. He knows why He created us. In Jeremiah, He says I new you while you were in your mother's womb.

One can only self actualize when they have found out God's purpose in their lives. Through constant communion with Christ, our souls find feeding cause God's word and a relationship with His Son Jesus is what our soul desires to feed on. Thus FOOD FOR THE SOUL