While I was working as a Christian counselor, I developed a “Basic Need Chart” to help myself and struggling Christians identify which basic need we were not allowing God to fulfill by unwittingly believing in the world’s view point of how to meet that particular need.  Many of these verses recorded below I have known for years, but at the moment of my trial they seemed to be overlooked or forgotten. Peter addresses this same point in “2 Peter”. He reminds his readers five times in the first chapter to remember God’s truth: 2 Pe 1:9 has forgotten; 2 Pe 1:12 always remind you even though you know them; 2 Pe 1:13 to refresh your memory; 2 Pe 1:15 will always be able to remember these things; 2 Pe 1:19 do well to pay attention to it (Word).

Fear and anxiety is usually experienced when the need for Security is not being met, whereas peace is the positive fruit of trusting God for this need.

Alienation and rejection are common feelings when the need for Belonging is not met whereas love is a good indicator that you are walking in God’s will.

With the Significance need we can go to either end of the spectrum with our Identity.  We can be puffed up, proud and arrogant or go to the other extreme and feel shame and low self worth, whereas believing God’s Word gives us a proper balance of  true worth.  The world bases results as the indicator of how successful we have performed or not, but God says it is our effort and motives which are important.

The last need of Fulfillment can leave us empty and frustrated if we are not following God’s divine purpose and we fail to relinquish the need to control circumstances, others and God.  As we walk in God’s truth we will experience contentment and joy in regards to the need for Fulfillment.

Click on chart to see enlargement.  Click on back button to return.

S E C U R I T Y

                                                                                                                            HEALTH

Physical Health: body

Problem- feeling anxiety or fear due to ill health  

Solution- renew your mind by building up your spirit man through the promises in the Word; persevere by focusing on Jesus; be occupied with the eternal, not the temporal  Pr 18:14; Ro 12:12; Heb 12:2; 2 Co 4:16,17,18; 2 Co 12:7,8,9,10

Result- peace

 

Psychological Health: mind

Problem- worrying about the things in your life Mt 13:22

Solution- submit to God; trust in his truth unwaveringly; ponder on positive things       Mt 11:28,29,30; Isa 26:3; Jn 8:31,32; Php 4:6,7,8

Result- peace

 

Social Health: relationships

Problem- bitterness or resentment towards others

Solution- forgive others as God has forgiven you; be a peacemaker                              Col 3:13; Mt 18:15,16,17; Eph 4:26,29; Pr 15:1; Ro 12:17,18,19,20,21; Php 2:4

Result- harmony; restoration

 

Spiritual Health: personal 

Problem- apathy; lack of motivation to seek God

Solution- study and apply God’s truth                                                                          Ro 10:17; Mt 4:4; Mt 7:24; Ps 1:1,2,3; Pr 1:1,2,3,4,5,6,7; 2 Ti 2:15; 2 Ti 3:16; Jas 1:22

Result- passion for God Lk 24:32

 

PROVISION

Physical Provision: food/shelter

Problem- anxiety due to lack of sustenance

Solution- seek God; believe his promises; follow his righteous ways                             Mt 6:25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34; Ps 37:25; Php 4:6,7,8,9,13,19

Result- provision and peace

 

Psychological Provision: sins 

Problem- guilt from the sins we commit

Solution- claim the truth that you are forgiven; thank God for his provision; repent by walking in the light                                                                                                            1 Jn 1:7,8,9; Ac 3:19; Isa 1:18; Col 1:13,14; Ps 103:12; Eph 1:7; Col 2:13; Heb 10:17

Result- peace; freedom from guilt; intimate fellowship with God

 

Social Provision: injustices

Problem- anger from an injustice

Solution- accept God’s sovereignty                                                                               Ro 8:28; Ro 12:17,18,19,20,21; Mt 5:38,39,40,41,42; Ecc 3:8

Result- peace; contentment

 

Spiritual Provision: eternal life

Problem- fear of death and the unknown future; fear of future judgment

Solution- trust in God’s saving provision                                                                         Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 5:11,12,13; 2 Co 5:17

Result- peace with God; peace of God

 

B E L O N G I N G  

                                                                                                                        INTIMACY   

Physical Intimacy: touch

Problem- feeling unloved and lonely

Solution- give and accept appropriate physical affection;                                                1 Co 7:1,2,3,4,5,9; Lk 7:44,45,46; Lk 15:20; Ro 16:16

Develop self-control ie) when these negative feelings are overpowering, read the following verses that reinforces the fact that God loves you and though you are craving human touch, God’s spiritual touch can be more soothing.                                                        Ro 5:7,8; Jn 15:13,14; Zep 3:17; Ro 8:37,38,39; Isa 49:15,16

Result- sense of belonging; feeling loved

 

Psychological Intimacy: to be heard express my innermost thoughts        

Problem- wanting to be heard and understood feeling unloved

Solution- talk to God in prayer expressing these innermost thoughts                            Ps 55:1,2; Ps56:5; Ps 42:9,10; Ps 22:1,2

Result- feeling God does love and care about me

 

Social Intimacy: to belong fellowship with spouse/believers  

Problem- feeling alone; that I do not belong

Solution- make an effort with spouse and believers to encourage and listen to them Heb 10:24,25; Ac 2:42,43,44,45,46,47; Phm 1:17; Gal 6:10; Ruth 1:16; Ecc 4:9,10,11,12

Result- feeling a sense of belonging; respected and loved

 

Spiritual Intimacy: commune fellowship with God

Problem- feeling alienated from God

Solution- repent of any sins that have alienated you from God; draw near to Him in prayer and in reading His Word.                                                                                   Rev 3:20; Jas 4:8; Eph 1:17; Eph 3:16,17,18,19; 1 Th 5:17; Lk 6:12

Result- feeling God’s love and intimacy

 

ACCEPTANCE

Physical Acceptance: image   

Problem- I do not accept my physical make-up; shamed of my appearance

Solution- Believe what God says about me; the inside beauty is what counts               Ps 139:14; Eph 5:28,29; 1 Sa 16:7; 1 Pe 3:3,4

Result- I accept the way I look and thank God for His creating me just the way He did.

 

Psychological Acceptance: personality 

Problem- I don’t like who I am on the inside; guilt

Solution- Build a godly character by reading and obeying God’s Word.                          1 Co 12:14,15,16,17,18; Pr 27:19; Jn 14:21; 2 Pe 1:3,4,5,6,7,8

Result- I accept who I am on the inside.

 

Social Acceptance: respect 

Problem- I feel disregarded; unimportant

Solution- Believe that I am accepted and important as a member in the body of Christ Gal 3:26,27,28; Ro 15:7; Jas 2:1

Result- I feel accepted; I desire to work as a member in the body of Christ

 

Spiritual Acceptance: through Son

Problem- I feel unworthy of God; God would never accept me.

Solution- Receive the Son and belief God’s testimony concerning me.                         Jn 3:16; Jn 1:12; Ro 15:7; Heb 13:5

Result- I know I am accepted in Christ.

 

 

S I G N I F I C A N C E

IDENTITY

Physical Identity: race/sex/attractiveness/abilities

Problem- I feel physically Gen 3:19 inferiority or superiority compared to others. I cannot change my race or sex and my attractiveness and abilities will diminish over time.

Psychological Identity: intelligence/skills/talent

Problem- I feel psychologically inferiority or superiority Ro 12:3 compared to others.  I cannot take credit for my intelligence or skills and talent that I have inherited at birth 1 Co 4:7 and these can diminish with age or disease. 

Social Identity: titles/positions/popularity/ancestry

Problem- I feel socially inferiority or superiority compared to others. Titles, positions and popularity can change overnight and my ancestry can be re-evaluated for better or worse in time.                                                                                                                               Jas 2:1,2,3,4; 1 Co 12:21,22,23,24,25,26,27

Spiritual Identity: proper self-esteem

 Solution- Receive Christ to become a child of God                                                      Jn 1:12; Gal 4:4,5,6,7; 1 Pe 1:18,19; Gen 1:26,27,28,31; 2 Co 5:17

I base my identity on something that cannot change and does not make me feel superior or inferior to others.

Result- I have a proper understanding of my identity. I am a sinner Ro 3:23, yet through God’s grace Ro 3:24, He has declared me righteous Ro 3:22 and accepted me into His family because of my faith in His Son Ro 5:1.

 

P E R F O R M A N C E

Physical Performance: self-discipline

Problem- guilt if I did not perform up to my full ability

Solution- give my best effort at all times for God; keep my body healthy                         1 Co 9:24,25,26,27; 1 Co 6:19,20; Ro 12:1; Col 3:17,23; 1 Co 10:31

Result- I will have a clear conscience that I did all that I could.

Psychological Performance: results vs effort

Problem- disappointment if the result is not favourable.

Solution- recognize that I have control over my efforts but God has control over the result Pr 16:33 so I must focus my energy on effort not results                                    Heb 11:35,36,37,38,39; 2 Co 11:23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30; Col 3:23; 1 Co 4:5

Result- I am content in all that I do regardless if the activity was successful.

Social Performance: comparing

Problem- I feel inferior or superior compared to others.

Solution- do not compare with others; judge your performance by your past efforts              Gal 6:3,4; 2 Co 10:12; Gen 4:4,5,6,7,8; Ac 4:36,37,5:1,5:2  

Result- contentment

Spiritual Performance: reward 

Problem- shame/anger not living up to God’s standards

Solution- do what God has asked but focus on effort not on results or others            Gen 4:6,7; Jn 21:21,22; 1 Ti 4:8; Col 3:23,24

Result- God will reward me justly. 2 Co 10:18; Mk 9:41; Heb 6:10; 1 Co 3:12,13,14,15; Pr 16:2

 

P U R P O S E

TASK

Physical Task: merit 

Problem- guilt from selfish living

Solution- use body for God’s pleasure not my pleasures                                             Gal 2:20; Ro 6:6,7,8,9,10,11; Gal 5:16,17,18; 1 Co 10:23,24; 1 Co 10:31

Result- joy from doing what pleases God

Psychological Task: motive

Problem- guilt from having impure motives

Solution- fill my mind with God’s values not the world’s                                                Pr 16:3; Php 4:13; Col 2:4

Result- joy and contentment

Social Task: teamwork 

Problem- jealousy; competing against others

Solution- submit to one another and work together for God’s glory                                                  Eph 5:21; Heb 10:23,24,25; 1 Co 9:16-27; Mt 28:19,20

Result- harmony

Spiritual Task promote God’s kingdom

Problem- guilt from promoting self rather than God 2 Ti 2:4

Solution-  evangelize, disciple  and build up the body of Christ                                       2 Ti 2:20,21; Jn 10:3,4,5; Ps 32:8; Mt 28:19,20; 1 Th 5:11

Result- joy; you will have God’s approval

OBEDIENCE

Physical Obedience: flesh vs spirit

Problem- guilt from disobedience

Solution-  let my spirit rule my flesh                                                                             Gal 2:20; Ro 6:6,7,8,9,10,11; Gal 5:16,17,18

Result- contentment and joy

Psychological Obedience: Satan vs Holy Spirit 

Problem- guilt for listening to Satan rather than the Holy Spirit

Solution- let my mind obey God’s truth not Satan’s lies.                                               Pr 16:3; Php 4:13; Gal 5:16,17,18

Social Obedience: relationships 

Problem- rebellious spirit; pride, wanting my way

Solution- submit to ordained authority                                                                         Ro 13:1,2,3,4,5,6,7; 1 Pe 2:13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21; Heb 13:17; Heb 10:23,24,25;1 Co 9:16,27; Mt 28:19,20

Result- harmony

Spiritual Obedience: self vs God 

Problem- guilt for my disobedience to God

Solution- repent and be dependent upon God                                                                      Jn 10:3,4,:5; Ps 32:8

Result- peace with God; peace of God