Stay Hungry: Cultivating Spiritual Hunger in the Christian Life

Hunger is something we avoid at all costs in life, and yet in our Christian life, hunger should be the one quality that defines us. Hungry Christians pursue God with passion, sincerity, and humility. Hungry Christians will not be satisfied with watered-down truths and complacent sermons meant to placate our conscience. Hungry Christians will do whatever it takes to pursue God and obtain full satisfaction in Him.

On the other side of hunger is complacency, and a complacent Christian is a dead Christian. Sure, a complacent Christian may live a good life and eventually get to heaven. However, their life will be marked by a lack of fire and passion. A complacent Christian will eventually die in Christ, but will not necessarily live for Him.

Hungry Christians live with an awareness of their need and desperation for Christ. Living a lifestyle of hunger is costly and uncomfortable, but the rewards outweigh the inconveniences and the pain. But how does one cultivate hunger in their life? How does one live with a passion and desperation that will do everything to obtain more of Christ and what He paid for on the cross?

Before anything, we need to establish something.

Spiritual Hunger is Biblical

We need to recognize that spiritual hunger is biblical. Indeed, hunger is a quality blessed by Jesus.

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

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.” – Psalm 42:1, NKJV

Hunger is part of the kingdom of God, and Jesus Himself is the One with the power to satisfy us.

“For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.” – John 6:55, NKJV

So how do we cultivate an attitude of hunger for God?

Surround Yourself with Hungry People

Our communities play a vital role in who we become. If we are surrounded by a complacent community, we will remain complacent. But if we are surrounded by people whose hearts are burning for Jesus, then a fire will be lit in our own.

After the crucifixion, two men were walking home, lost and forlorn after all their hopes in Jesus seemed to come to nothing. A stranger approaches them and begins to tell them all about the Messiah and the prophecies concerning Him. Later on, the man reveals Himself as Jesus. But the point I want to make is that these men, not knowing they were hanging out with Jesus Himself, felt a deep burning in their hearts when He spoke.

This is what happens when we surround ourselves with people who are passionate about Jesus. Our hearts light up, and suddenly we feel like we can do great things and achieve what we longed for. If you find yourself complacent, surround yourself with people that burn bright for God. And if needed, evaluate the people who currently have the most influence in your life. If they are drawing you away from God, make a choice to create space between yourselves.

“And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?'” – Luke 24:32, NKJV

Create Faith Habits

What are faith habits? Well, you probably can guess where I’m going with this. There are four habits of faith that I consider fundamental:

• Reading Scripture
• Prayer
• Worship
• Christian Community

These four habits are the building blocks of our faith. Reading Scripture will equip us to hear God and discern His voice. Prayer will grow us, stretch us, and teach us to maintain an open dialogue throughout our daily lives. Worship will magnify God in our lives, making us aware of His goodness. Remember: we become what we worship. And Christian community will help us become better believers; it will stretch us in our faith and it will be a great support network when we need a helping hand.

I believe these are faith habits in that, not only are they related to our faith as believers, but because they require faith to develop. You have to believe that these habits will be worthwhile, and you have to develop them even when you don’t see immediate results. This is why they are faith habits.

If you don’t feel spiritually hungry, read your Bible. If you feel like God can’t hear you, pray. If you feel like you can’t feel anything when you worship, worship. If you feel disconnected from your church, intentionally seek out your church community. Why? Because faith habits aren’t based on feelings; they are based on faith and obedience. And when we obey out of faith, our feelings will, eventually, have no choice but to follow us where our faith is leading.

Remember, feelings are passengers in the caboose, but they are not the conductor of the train. So if you feel spiritually dry, or if you haven’t received a word from God in what feels like ages, create faith habits and pursue them intentionally.

Do it creatively. Do it consistently. Do it by faith.

Look Forward, and Not Back

Many people self-sabotage their faith and spiritual growth by living in a past encounter they had with God. And here’s the thing: encounters with God are great, but they are meant to encourage us, not sustain us. This is why we need daily bread, because yesterday’s bread, if kept for today, will grow stale and will no longer nourish us.

This is what happened to the Israelites in the desert. Moses told them they should pick enough manna for the day, but not save any for the next. Why? Because they needed to learn to trust God to supply their needs, and they needed to understand the importance of God’s fresh provision. They didn’t obey.

“Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.” – Exodus 16:20, NKJV

We can’t live longing for an encounter we previously had with God. We can remember it and praise God for it. We can be encouraged by it when we feel downcast. But it cannot sustain us. For us to be satisfied today, we need a word from God today.

If you want to cultivate spiritual hunger in your life, then look forward and not back. Seek God for a daily word and let Him be your daily bread. Be encouraged by past encounters, but don’t expect them to sustain you. Let Jesus Himself be the daily word that sustains your every breath and action.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” – Matthew 6:11, NKJV

“But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”‘” – Matthew 4:4, NKJV

Remain grateful about your past encounters with God. Recognize their value and thank God for those moments. But also remember to look forward and consistently seek a fresh, new word from God.

Keep Going

Finally, persevere! Hunger is something to be cultivated in the Christian life. When hunger is given up before it is fulfilled, it leads to complacency and bitterness. When it is given up after being satisfied once, it leads to stagnancy. Persevere in your pursuit of God, both through the highs and lows. Persevere in your pursuit of Jesus and intentionally seek after the kingdom, even when you don’t immediately feel it or see it.

Above all, remember that spiritual hunger is always fulfilled in Christ. He never leaves us begging, and He never leaves us starved. He is a good Father.

“He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” – Psalms 107:9, NKJV

My challenge for you is to stay hungry. As a concrete, actionable habit, begin reading one verse a day if you don’t have a Bible reading habit yet. If you do, set a reminder every day to ask God for one word He has for you. Keep yourself hungry and intentionally seek His fresh bread. Remember: When we seek, He answers.

Until next one,
Anna

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Photo by Alyssa Coulter on Unsplash