Hungry?

by Kelly Knowlden

Appetite drives. Whether it be the quick snack at the end of a school day or a full course meal. We know the pushes of stomach-growls and because of the availability of food, we satisfy ourselves. Now all that is necessary and the spiritual battles that attend our eating, is not really my point. Rather, the larger question that must be posed to us day by day, as we deal with all that comes to us, is “What are we hungering for?” You see, we have this sense that there are certain things that will satisfy us and make us content. As a result, we pursue that which is a gift of God, rather than the Giver.

Let me explain. Here are the circumstances: I have a flat tire. I am late. I have responsibilities that must be done and I am in an ‘out-of-service’ area for cell phones. I will respond to this by trying to satisfy the inner pushes that I feel. I will try to control my world by being angry at the mechanic who just put on new tires. I will vent my frustrations by crying. (“There, there. That will make you feel better.”) I will become self-righteous when no one stops to help. All of these are my attempts to make everything okay. They are all lies.

Are you hungry for fullness of blessings? Do you long to know the secret of peace in relationships with others in your world? (Jaded hearts say it is not possible.) That which we are hungering for and cannot accomplish by all our find-games, can be worked out through opening our empty hearts and trusting in Christ. That means that flat tires become an opportunity to be filled with the peace of Christ because we know He is good and brings only that which is good for me. Hunger is satisfied by living by faith.