A look at Matthew 5:6

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled”
As I was reading this passage there were several different thoughts that came to mind. The first part of this passage states that we are blessed if we hunger and thirst for righteousness. So what does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness? Is that something we can literally hunger and crave? It brought me to think about when I really hunger and thirst for something. Have you ever had that time in your day where you are just starving for a good meal? Or you are so hot and exhausted that you are just dying for a drink? What do we do in these times? By golly, we go and get something to eat or drink! So why can’t we have these same cravings for God’s word, and those things that define a righteous being? Why is it so hard to go through our day-to-day life and think nothing about it when we skip our much-needed God time each day? 
Look at today’s society. The world around you. What do you see? We see pain, suffering, loss, searching, worldly hunger, and so much more. But within these larger turmoil’s, if we really look, we see smaller ones that define what our modern culture is. I saw several examples of this while sitting in the train station the other day. Three examples of different characteristics of our culture, Patience, time management, and contentment. 
As I was waiting in line to print off my train ticket, I happened to over hear a younger couple conversing with one another. They had two small children, the girl probably age 5 or so and the little boy was probably 3. They were waiting in line right behind me, but as I was waiting there I overheard that young little girl say over and over, “Mommy, is this line going to waste our time?” After several repetitions of the question, the father responded with a short no and then went on with life. The more I thought about this, the more it bugged me. What kind of things are we teaching our young people? What are we putting into the minds of these adults of tomorrow? In this case, the littler girl had obviously seen an example from the parents that lines were a waste of time. Much of our culture would agree with that. We are always rushing around and being so busy with our lives that we sometimes forget what is truly important to us. We neglect the things that God calls us to focus on the most, such as our spiritual life and our time with Him. 
After getting my ticket and proceeding to the waiting room, I put in my headphones and started to read a little bit. After a while, I started analyzing a few of my surroundings. Their were many people scurrying about here and there trying to find out where there train was or when their train was leaving. But not to far from where I was sitting, there was a mom and her son sitting down. The little boy looked to be toddler age, maybe 3 or 4, and the mom looked like she was probably in her mid twenties. Whether she had a husband or not, I do not know. The mom was talking on her cell phone almost non stop. Not paying any attention to what this little boy was doing or where he was. As most toddlers do, the little boy started roaming around trying to find something to do. After giving up on a few cheap toys and some fun climbing objects, the boy finally settled down in a chair next to his mom and pulled out his toy cell phone. He put it up to his ear and just sat there. Occasionally he would look up and around, but for the most part he was glued to that cell phone. Here was a perfect example of time management. I can’t say that I know the complete story behind this family, because I don’t. But I do know that toddlers tend to pick up on whatever their parents and siblings do. And as I watched this mother chatter away on her phone, I could see that that was all this little boy new to do when he was bored. My heart cried for this young child as I thought about what that could mean for his future. What will he be like in 10 years if he never gets the time from his parents? What will his life be like? In our culture we not only fail to practice patience, but we also fail to put the time we do have into what we need to. Are we spending enough time with our father? Or are we to wrapped up in our every day phone calls and pagers to remember that he is sitting right next to us waiting to be recognized?
I continued to look around at those around me, and what else I might learn through these people. I couldn’t seem to find much else and my train was about to board. But as I was about to get on the train, I looked over my shoulder and saw an elderly couple sitting down right next to where I had been sitting. They were chatting back and forth and this man tenderly had his hand in that of his wife, and on his lap, a Bible. Here was a couple that had been seeking God in their life and their relationship. And though I’m sure they had their hard times, they couldn’t have showed more contentment at that time. Their faces just glowed with a joy that couldn’t be described in words. They are only one of a few like that in today’s society. 
So take a look at these examples. Each one told a different story, and each one shows a little aspect of our spiritual life. We often get impatient waiting in line for God to act on what we want him to, rather than trusting His will in everything. We constantly put our time into things that will not last. Things of this world and of ourselves, and we neglect the time we need to spend with God. We lack that hunger and thirst for righteousness and peace in our lives. Think about how much different our spiritual lives would be if we constantly hungered and were thirsty for God’s righteousness and his commands. If we constantly craved that never ending spiritual knowledge and growth. The bible commands that if we crave for this we WILL be filled. There is never a question as to whether or not we will get what we are craving as long as it is within God’s will and commands. If we desire that, we will be filled with that. 
So I wanted to write this as an encouragement to all of those struggling out there, just like I am. Take a look at your spiritual life and your relationship with God. Are you constantly craving time with the Father? Are you ready to be filled with the only source that can? Is there something in your life that is replacing that role of God and His plan? If there is, I encourage you to pray about it and work a plan out to overcome this and get back where you want to be. God is waiting with a full meal cooked up. We just have to find it and then accept the meal in its entirety. So stop, look around, give it to God, and live your life for Him.

In Christ, 
Matt Spangler