Hunger

"Man, I'm hungry!" I thought as I wrapped up my morning studies and planning. The granola I had eaten for breakfast had evidently run its course. I quickly made my way out to the van, all the time mentally running through the foods that sound best for keeping one going through a Monday afternoon.

"Taco Bell? Nah..."

"Subway? I don't think so."

"Arby's? Had it the other day..."

"Sandwich at home? Still need to get stuff done at the office, don't want to get side-tracked!"

"Barbecue sandwich? Bingo, barbecue sandwich at Market Street."

I jumped in the van and put the key in the ignition... nothing. I tried again; same result. Not being one to admit to insanity (doing the same thing, over and over, expecting different results), I had two options: a. wait for Carrie to get done with her Beth Moore Bible study and have her pick me up something on the way back to the office (while getting some stuff done in there myself) or b. take a hike. Although it's a little bit chilly and I'm in sandaled feed, I opted for option B.

We live in a society that seems to forget that it even has feet. As spread out as things are, especially here in Texas, it's incredible, to us, when we see someone walking. I would look at the people as they drove by me... I got every look from the soccer mom's "Oh, that poor guy, he's got to walk somewhere..." to an older man in his Mercedes talking on his cell phone who looked at me as though I were a transient on my way to his house to steal his cigar collection, precious stones, and little fluffy lap dog.

On my way to Market Street, though, I kept thinking about the Beatitudes, where Jesus is talking about those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because, in Him, they will be satisfied. I was hungry enough to walk through the loose sand, rocks, and weeds (not to mention encounter several bad Lubbock drivers on cell phones) in order to get my barbecue sandwich and Dr. Pepper. How much am I willing to endure for righteousness?

Far too many of us never even think about being hungry spiritually. We're so set in our ways when it comes to our "walks": go to church on Sunday mornings, worship for sure, maybe Sunday School (it just depends what activities the family has for the afternoon how long we stay); have a quiet time hopefully five times a week, but more like twice; make it to Wednesday night meal and worship twice a month; talk about Jesus to a couple of co-workers. We're set, or so it seems. The vast majority of us need to take a harder look at our lives and determine if we're really hungering and thirsting for the Lord. Do we need the nourishment of diving into His Word daily, or is it just some spiritual thing to check off our morality "to-do" list? When we worship, are we wanting to praise and have communion with the Father, or are we doing it because that's just "what we do" before Pastor Andy gets up there and preaches? I know, for me, I too often don't even think about the very real, very needed sustenance I get from my time with my Saviour. It can just become that thing that I do as a pastor.

We all need to take time out to remember what it is to hunger after the Lord. This may be just a time to meditate on what hunger really is, it may mean taking a day or two (or even a week... GASP!) to fast and take into ourselves hunger. It may even take us going to the nations on a mission trip to truly see hunger, firsthand, both in a physical and spiritual sense of the word.

What do you hunger for? The things of the World, like a sugar-high that makes us feel so good for a little while before letting us crash back down; or, the all-satisfying nourishment that is the Word and fellowship with the One who wrote it, that spurs us on those extra miles until we arrive home?