HUNGRY AND THIRSTY HEARTS (4)

“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious” – 1 Peter 2:2

Blessed Hearts are HUNGRY and THIRSTY HEARTS that crave for healthy diets: “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1Pet.2:1-2). It is not sufficient to be hungry and thirsty; it must be an appetite for the right diet – righteousness! Isaiah 55:2 tells us to “eat what is good”! A healthy spiritual appetite is a vital sign of salvation. As Believers we may have occasional seasons when we are not as hungry, but a continuous lack of appetite strongly represents a lack of true life. Meanwhile, Satan has filled the world with hungers, appetites, and diets of all sorts, such as lust for power, pleasure, popularity, money, and fame, to tempt men, including Believers. His is an enticing trap that often looks good on the outside, but inside is laden with sin, and aimed at destruction and eternal death.

God beckons that we pursue righteousness, but the choice is always ours. As we yield, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, He will satisfy us! Two major reasons why even Believers may lack the right spiritual appetite, are: Unhealthy diet and busyness.

Unhealthy Diet: Parents often tell their children to not eat sweets before meals because they ruin appetite! Similarly, Believers who feast on sin and worldliness will be robbed of their spiritual appetite. God approves and delights in those who are earnestly hungry for righteousness. This calls for Believers to get rid of products of sinful diets, and yearn for spiritual foods that enhance growth.

The implication is that feasting on sin and the things of the world hinders our appetite for divine things: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1Jh. 2:15). Loving the things of this world – things that dishonour God or don’t acknowledge Him – will cause our love for God to decrease. In the same way, when we constantly feast on things that acknowledge and honour God, our love for the things of the world will decrease and our love for God will increase. Whatever feeds negative habits such as old sinful ways, laziness, ignorance, irresponsibility, discouragement, comparison, murmuring, indifference, and hypocrisy, in us, is an unhealthy diet that must be jettisoned!

Busyness: In the case of natural hunger, people skip meals or neglect eating simply because they are too busy to pay attention to their hunger. This also happens spiritually, as illustrated in the story of Mary and Martha when Christ visited their house. While there, Martha was busy being a good host – serving everybody. The problem, as she saw it, was that her sister, Mary, was simply sitting at Jesus’ feet while He taught. Martha became angry and confronted Jesus: “Tell her to help me.” Christ simply responded that Martha was busy about many things, whereas Mary had “chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Lk.10:38-42).

What’s paradoxical is that Martha was doing a good thing – serving God and others. However, good things are usually the enemy of the best things. Many are busy doing good things like work, ministry, and recreation. They are however neglecting what’s most important. They don’t have time to pray, study God’s Word, or worship; therefore, their spiritual appetite for these things decreases.

One of God’s ordained cures for unsteady or declining appetite is the spiritual discipline of Sabbath – taking one day a week to cease working and rest: We’re rejuvenated both physically and spiritually. We become more thankful and joyful; desire to pray, read God’s Word, eat and serve better. When we neglect this spiritual devotion, we may likely backslide into spiritual survival mode.

Spiritually and physically, we should eat, drink, and live healthy: “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1Cor.10:31). God’s Glory is paramount; opposed to His Glory, our diet, appetite, and convenience are weightless!