The Beatitudes, Part 4: What Are You Hungry For? A Deeper Look at Righteousness
Jesus' Wisdom in Beatitude #4
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6
"We must have a constant appetite for "right-ness"; and with that consistent desire, God gives continual filling. The question is, How good do we want to be?"
Godly Hunger
What do you really desire, so much you can taste it? Become addicted to righteousness. Jesus calls us to desire intensely those things that will really satisfy us. Righteousness ultimately means being like the Lord Jesus Christ. Righteousness is that which corresponds to the will of God in our lives. It is what will satisfy. To be satisfied means to be filled to overflowing, having a full stomach. Righteousness brings satisfaction, but without wanting it, we will never get it.
The question is: How good do we want to be? To hunger and thirst for righteousness is the deep desire to be free even from the very desire for sin. Rather than wishing for one more drink, one more pill (over the prescription), one more puff, one more purchase, or one more glance, the one who hungers after righteousness wants to get rid of sin. If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we yearn to serve, give, and love more because we want to be like Jesus.
Most people would say it's good to be a little righteous sometimes. They think it could be a good thing in moderation, but not a necessity, and not as important as food and drink. In contrast, a starving person knows nothing of moderation but has a single, all-consuming obsession with food. Our obsession for righteousness should be just as solid and all-consuming.
Do you long for righteousness as a thirsty person longs for water? How intense is your hunger and thirst to obey God and to be like Jesus? Maybe this is the one Beatitude the Spirit of God pressing on you, and the resulting blessing will be your utter satisfaction. If the first four Beatitudes have not rocked your world yet, look at the second set of four Beatitudes.
Haddon Robinson in The Christian Salt & Light Company
