“It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on.”
Proverbs 16:26 NLT

For the purposes of this discussion, I want to suggest to you that there are at least two types of hunger. One hunger is bad, the other is good. 

There is the bad hunger that leads to starvation due to a lack of sustenance, and there is a good hunger that leads to satisfaction. 

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

In our day we might call it “finding your why”.  It means finding the purpose that will lead you to work towards your goals. It means using your appetite to help you persevere, and by persevering to become satisfied. 

My desire for gardening as a youth can be used as a simple illustration. I had no real love for prepping soil, selecting seeds, removing weeds or developing a green thumb. But I did have a keen appetite for fresh Jersey tomatoes. There are none better in my estimation. My gardening work was driven each spring by my hunger and then was satisfied each summer with fresh tomatoes. That hunger was a good motivation to be the best gardener that I could possibly be. 

These days life is not as simple as it was in my youth. There are many things that need to be done that have greater meaning and consequences. But the lesson remains the same, finding the why and then using hunger as a tool will help us to persevere and realize the harvest that Paul speaks of. 

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 NLT

This week, think about your why and nurture your hunger for righteousness especially if you are ready to give up.

In His Hands, 

John