Thirsty?

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6

Have you ever noticed we tend to crave what we commonly consume? My Cowboy drinks more than his fair share of Dr. Pepper. And that is what he wants often throughout the day. No substitutes allowed. Dr. Pepper or nothing. If we are out of his preferred beverage, a trip to the store happens immediately, regardless of present circumstances. He has conditioned his body and mind to want, desire and even crave Dr. Pepper.

As I am trying to eat a more healthy diet, which includes lots of water, I find myself thirsty for water. And only water. I could choose to quench my thirst with a less healthy option and if done repeatedly I would no longer be thirsty for water. We train our minds and bodies to desire what we give them.

The Dr. Pepper may appear to quench My Cowboy’s thirst, but the truth is, Dr. Pepper actually dehydrates, making him more thirsty and needing more. Our bodies to be healthy need water. Water is the true thirst quencher. It is how we are made.

This reality does not only apply to physical food. We can train our minds and souls to crave various things. We may NEED TV time. We may REQUIRE Face book time. We may CRAVE video games. How we spend our free time and what we value is intricately linked. But just like the Dr. Pepper, these activities and pastimes do not fill us; they only make us want more. We were created with a hunger only God can fill.

So how do we develop an appetite for God and His Word?

How do we reprogram our minds to crave the things of God?

By changing our diet. We feed our thirst with God’s Word.  At first it may seem all wrong, not satisfying. The TV or Face book may keep calling our name. But just as we don’t give into physical cravings as we seek to get healthy, we must ignore our old pastimes to develop a new mind set. As we continually feed on his truth we WILL see our desires begin to change.

After one bite of veggies or one sip of water we don’t give up. If we want a new, healthier life we persevere until new habits are formed and old habits are broken. With our spiritual lives we can do nothing less. As we hunger and thirst for righteousness we will be truly filled. Jesus promises and he is faithful.