Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Have you ever gone days without eating? Have you ever missed a few nights of sleep? If you’ve ever gone days without eating or nights without sleeping, you know the effect it can have on every aspect of your life. This adverse effect can be very motivating to become devoted to eating and sleeping. Most people won’t go a whole day without eating or a whole 24 hours without sleeping. But yet, most Christians struggle to fit in a few minutes every day to commune with God.
In my earlier years as a fitness trainer, I would counsel people that their fitness goals must become more important than eating and sleeping. This requires a great deal of devotion. Their perspective had to change from seeing food as a source of comfort to a source of fuel and sleeping late as a missed opportunity to make physical progress through exercise.
Our struggle is that many times we don’t notice the immediate detrimental effects of Kingdom-less living: The gnawing dryness in our souls, the agitation in our minds, and the exhaustion in our spirits. We should be concerned when our hunger for God is less intense than our hunger for food and when our spiritual thirst is not comparable to our physical thirst.
Developing spiritual disciplines is a lot like developing physical disciplines. Every time you make a change in your life, it usually begins with a decision followed by a struggle. You must understand that the struggle indicates growth. It takes a struggle for a butterfly to emerge from its cocoon, just as it takes a struggle for your spiritual life to change priorities before your heart and mind are transformed. This transformation might seem impossible, but it is the work of the Holy Spirit turning and churning in your heart.
You must understand that spiritual growth is not instant but a slow process of sanctification. This is all a result of grinding out your spiritual disciplines with consistency on a daily basis. Just as your body craves food and rest every day, your soul craves the presence of God. The more you quench your spiritual thirst and feed your spiritual hunger, the more your thirst and hunger for God will grow. Don't be disheartened if the transformation is a slow struggle and seems too hard. With each passing day, with each prayer, with each Scripture reading, you're getting closer to Kingdom living.
Think about what it's like to have a soul that is brimming with love and a mind that is filled with total peace and the knowledge of God. Isn't that a goal worth fighting for? Your commitment to your spiritual growth is more important than anything else; it leads to you living your Kingdom purpose.
Begin today to work towards building your hunger and thirst for God and His righteousness. When you choose to fill your life with the love of God and His righteousness, you will find every struggle and every sacrifice worth it. As a result of your position in Christ, you will find sanctification that is immeasurable, a peace that is unshakable, and a joy that is eternal. Kingdom joy is tough to come by, just like the best views require the hardest climbs. So keep seeking, keep hungering, and keep thirsting, for it is here in the Kingdom that you find true contentment, fulfillment, and peace.