Four basic needs have been identified by those who study human behavior: belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence.

And if those needs are not met, a person's response usually follows three stages:

• Acknowledging emotional deprivation
• Coping or compensating
• Giving up, quitting, or accepting an otherwise unacceptable condition ...

Problems arise when we strive for the fulfillment of these basic needs in unhealthy areas, or in compromising or less than desirable ways.

• We should not strive to belong to many things we often aspire to.

• Too often we try to control things we should not, or reject those whom we feel are intruding upon the control we desire.  

• Our self-esteem too often varies according to our emotional beginnings each day, and is controlled by it throughout that day ...also being a beginning criteria for tomorrow.

• We often measure our meaningful existence by a comparison to others.

What should we think of these basic needs?? Are they to be disregarded??

The theory of evolution would imply, or have us believe:

• We come from an evolved ape-like creature ...and that seems to define our belonging.

• We have no control over evolution ...and it is possible that we could mutate out of existence to a superior race.  (Seems too much like the mindset under the Nazis of World War II. ---and they wished to control the world.)

• Self-esteem would be rather meaningless without focusing on self-preservation ...of ourselves, and the planet. (We become gullible enough to think we could attain world peace ...in essence, trusting everyone. and of course, we embrace global warming, or climate change warnings.)

• Meaningful existence becomes a mere facade of self-esteem, denying the promoted concept of survival of the fittest, to the extent that a person would deny that a vicious dog is at his heals.

If we accept a loving God, defined as One, with Three Personages ...we see this in a much different Light.

In accepting Jesus, we belong to Him.

We ask Him to control our life, through His Holy Spirit.

We are His children, and we abandon many of our selfish ways to esteem to being in His Kingdom.

Our existence has real meaning ...with a promise of a peaceful life eternally with Him.

That should take care of the confusion ...the confusion that evolution breeds.

Then it's like sitting in a dentist chair, knowing the moment will be short ...and it will be better afterwards.

And like the missionary hearing of the islander's nightmare ...of two dogs fighting, one vicious dog against a more docile one.  The missionary asks, "Which dog in your dream is winning?"  The islander replies, "The one I feed the most!"

And we have enough real pain in this life, without feeding it more than we need to.