Abiding at the Feet of Jesus | A Look at the BeatitudesSýnishorn

I think this is a Beatitude to which most of us can relate easier than the others, because we understand what it is like to be hungry and thirsty. What separates some people from others is not that some hunger and thirst while others don’t. What distinguishes us is where we choose to “eat and drink.” What separates us can be discovered by what we define as our “bread and water.” What do we need, and where do we look to have our core needs met? 

Hungering and thirsting are descriptions of a driving force, a strong desire, or a single-minded ambition. Whatever I hunger and thirst for is what I genuinely desire. Hungry, thirsty people are highly motivated. Think of this in the biological sense. You hunger for food and thirst for water. These two things are essential for life. Without food or water, you will die. 

Now, carry that over to the spiritual side. You hunger and thirst for things that you have identified as vital to your sense of purpose and meaning. If you don’t have them, you die spiritually. Life will be meaningless. 

Throughout human history, people have indulged in meaningless/ungodly things and activities to try to fill the void that God intended to be filled only through His righteousness. We are not blessed if we hunger and thirst for things other than righteousness, because we will never be fulfilled. The yearning to have our life essentials sated will have us on an endless search until we come to Christ.

The essence of hungering for righteousness is having a sacred desire for identity in Christ alone. This hunger develops an intimacy with Christ that is the foundation of our faith. This hunger helps you develop a life that pushes aside distracting things that do not satisfy this hunger. 

What are you feeding off of? Maybe it’s status, success, career, family, or education that feeds you? Many people use one or several of these to feed on or find purpose and value. 

Are you feeding off of a hurt, a habit, or a hang-up? Something that is a coping mechanism that never addresses the core issue of unrighteousness in your life? 

Many Christians use religious activity. You may connect your satisfaction with how many services you participate in during a week. You may self-righteously serve people as a means to be accepted by God. Someone who is strung out on drugs has the same core needs as the religious person trying to please God his or her own way. The question still remains: What do you look to for satisfaction?

It comes down to this: allow His righteousness to be what you hunger and thirst for and you will be fully satisfied.

Questions to Journal: 

1. What are the life essentials for which you hunger? Where and how do you seek to fill these needs apart from Christ?

2. Meditate on Matthew 5:6 and Philippians 3:4–10. Where are you finding your identity? How are you growing in intimacy with Christ?