Hungry like a Teenager
Sunday I ended the service by issuing the challenge to feed your soul before feeding your body when you wake up every morning this week. This ties into the last Beatitude we studied in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.” The hope is that any physical hunger pains you experience this week would serve as a reminder to turn to Jesus first in Bible study and prayer to start your day. More than one person asked “Is it ok to drink coffee first?” Of course! In fact I’m not sure it’s physically possible to study the Bible in the morning without coffee.
I shared in service about the time I remember being my thirstiest. As I reflected on my own experience (sick and unable to drink anything for 36hrs), I remembered the story of a guy who experienced hunger and thirst at a much worse level. It’s a familiar story to many, made popular in the 2010 movie “127 Hours”, bringing to life the story of wilderness hiker Aaron Ralston, who ended up amputating his own arm to rescue himself from being trapped, literally, between a rock (or boulder) and a hard place. He survived the five days by carefully rationing out his 300ml of water (slightly less than a coke can) and his few snack bars. I can’t even fathom how deep his hunger and thirst were at the end of the ordeal.
Probably a more relevant analogy is the hunger we see in a healthy teenager. It seemed in my high school years that food was almost always at the forefront of my mind. I could never get enough, always asking my lunch-mates “are you going to eat that?” There is a ravishing hunger that hits at that age that seems insatiable. In fact, if a teenager is not hungry, it usually points to something being wrong, because a healthy teen should have a healthy appetite.
We could say the same of a Christian. A healthy Christian who is actively growing in their faith should have a healthy appetite. They should be hungry for God’s Word and thirsty to connect with Him in prayer. This really is the key for a healthy church to continue to grow. If our church is full of hungry Christians, then we will want to share what we’re learning with others, it’s the most natural form of evangelism imaginable. In fact, if you’re hungry for righteousness, you can’t keep from telling others about all that Jesus is doing in your life!
Be reading ahead through the rest of the Beatitudes, which we will study this Sunday. Also don’t forget that in just a few weeks we will have our first worship night of the fall on August 30th. This time we’ll be trying something new at the T-ball field, hosting an outdoor amphitheater-style worship night. We can’t wait to worship with you!