Hunger: The Endless Longing for MoreSample

Hunger as a Catalyst for More

Different people get hungry at different times of the day. Some people eat three meals a day. Some people snack in between. Hunger is part of the regular rhythms of being human. We all need to eat. And the truth is, our physical hunger mirrors a deeper, spiritual reality: we are designed to hunger for God.

Christianity is anchored in a relationship with God through Jesus, so it figures that we should be consistently, increasingly, growing in our hunger to know Him better and to dwell in His presence. Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.’ (Matthew 5:6) Perhaps you’re all too aware of your own spiritual hunger pangs. Perhaps there are parts of your life that need filling up with God’s righteousness.

When Jesus came into the world, He pointed people back to God’s original priority of true fellowship with Him. From the beginning, God wanted a people whose hunger for Him and His Kingdom eclipsed everything else. Jesus modeled this reality when He told His friends that His food was to do His Father’s will (John 4:34), and that anyone who was thirsty could come to Him to drink freely from rivers of living water (John 7:37-38).

Hunger for God – this desire to be drawn into the beautiful experience of knowing Him – has been a common denominator uniting God’s people throughout history. And knowing Him propels us into His purposes for our lives. Knowing Him means we get to be part of His Kingdom, advancing with divine momentum all over the world.

The first followers of Jesus understood that life on Earth wasn’t worth much unless they were completely devoted to living for God. Paul writes, ‘For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.’ (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) Any life lived devoid of hunger for God is doomed to revolve around self and the fading realities of this world. Such a life can’t participate in the wondrous fellowship with God that positions and empowers us to establish His Kingdom here on Earth.

As we hunger for God more and more, we come to realize that there is no end to knowing Him. Take some time to assess your hunger levels. May God increase your desire to know Him, make Him known, and step into His plans and purposes for your life. May He sharpen your awareness that nothing else on offer from the world will satisfy your soul. And may you dare to live for Jesus alone.