Be Transformed: what are you hungry for?

Welcome to the fifteenth post in the Be Transformed series. I hope the posts and extras are a blessing to you.  If you would like to see what we have looked at so far in the series, please see Be Transformed Bible study. Today we look at, what are you hungry for?

Summary of what we will look at today:

• What are we hungry for?
• What do you hunger and thirst for?
• Do you love Jesus?
• An invitation
• A challenge
• Prayer

Within the Romans 12 passage ‘feeding the hungry and giving drink to those who are thirsty, is a part of the verse about blessing those who persecute us (Rom 12: 20). But for our focus today as we continue to look at being transformed, and for our thoughts to be renewed, we will be looking at:

• What are we feeding ourselves with.

• The call to feed those who are hungry.

What are we hungry for?

Depending on where we live and economic factors, each of us hunger for something; whether it’s food, love, or something else to fill the gap in our lives.

‘A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.’
Proverbs 15:14 NLT

If we are genuinely seeking to be transformed into the image of Christ in our thoughts and actions, we need to look at what we hunger for. Are we feeding on God’s truth or things of the world? It applies to not only what we actually eat, but what our mind feeds on, this applies to -

• What we read – magazines, books… — do they bring glory to God?
• What we watch on tv and movies — does the programmes and films we watch bring glory to God?
• If we hunger for love — where are we looking? Does it bring glory to God?
• If we hunger for comfort — where are we looking? Does it bring glory to God?
• Are we hungry for material possessions?– Does it bring glory to God?

As we search for our hunger to be fulfilled, if we rely on the temporary, our hunger will never be sated, we will always be spiritually starving.

As we search for the things to fill our emptiness we can be tempted to jump from one thing to another. Spending money may give you a temporary high, but once that has gone, you will crash and be back to square one. You may seek the comfort of that extra piece of chocolate cake, but will only end up craving for more, after the sugar high has gone. You may be looking for love, going from one relationship to another, but until we realise that no earthly relationship can fully provide the love we need, we will always be disappointed.

If we hunger after spiritual knowledge, we desire to know more about Christ and less about ourselves. When God created us, through the gift of free will, He left a space within each of us that only He could fulfil.

‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.’
Matthew 5:6 NIV

What do you hunger and thirst for?

Being hungry and thirsty is torture to many (Lam 4:4). There is an estimated 870 million people worldwide, who do not have enough to eat. This fact is shameful. Jesus knew what it was like to be hungry (Matt4:2)

When we think about filling our lives with things, we need to analyse what we actually need within God’s light.

No matter whether we believe in God or not, that desire, that hunger, is always there. As Christians the temptation is always there to look elsewhere if we are not right with God.

God, who is our Provider, desires a close relationship with us. What we need comes from His grace and love alone. We are to feed the hungry and help those in need (Isa 58:10). When we follow His commands, we are shining His light. When Jesus fed the 4,000 (Matt 15:32) we note how He said, ‘They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”

If we are to be like Jesus, we need to feed those who are hungry, care for the orphan, and the widow. God not only wants to provide food but also wants our souls to be nourished. If we are to share God’s love we must follow Jesus’ example.

‘Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father
means caring for orphans and widows in their distress
and refusing to let the world corrupt you.’
James 1:27 NLT

We must not allow ourselves to be corrupted by the world; looking to the world to fulfil our needs. All of us have done this, myself included, many, many, times. and I personally don’t want to allow myself to do this anymore.

I look around my house and see piles of stuff. this is the easiest way to term it, as it’s exactly that – stuff. A lot of what I have I don’t actually need. But what about all those who have nothing? As I grow in my relationship with God, I have less interest in the material things in the world, my prized possessions are my Bibles, but there are many who don’t even have one Bible, or churches who have only one lovingly used Bible shared among the congregation.

Do you love Jesus?

In John 21:15 -19, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him, he answers ‘yes’, Jesus then commissions him to feed and take care of His sheep, and follow Him.

The faith we share through the love of our Lord Jesus, urges us to turn away from the flesh and hunger and thirst after a life of holiness and righteousness; faith that purifies our heart and thoughts, depending on God alone. We need to honour God in everything we do, in the way we think about ourselves, and how we treat one another

An invitation

Spend some time considering all the things in your life that you hunger for. Be real before God and lay it out bare before Him. Ask for His help; to reveal the things that are taking your attention away from Him. With Him by your side, make a plan to work through these issues and educate yourself to be aware of the things that potentially make you stumble in Your walk with God. Make it a priority to feed on the Word of life.

A challenge

Ok are you ready for the challenge as we renew our thoughts?

My challenge for each of us is this – after you have followed through with the invitation above, analyse the things you spend money on that you don’t actually need; maybe DVD’s, magazines, chocolate (things that you may have relied on to fill that hunger gap) and every time you are tempted to do those things, make an offering to God. Collect the money you would spend on these items, and after 8 weeks, donate to a charity that helps feed those who are hungry – either for God’s word  and / or for food.

‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in.’
Matthew 25:35 NIV

Please join me in prayer

Heavenly Father, I come before You to say how sorry I am, when I have looked away from You. Please help me to hunger and thirst after Your righteousness only. Please feed me by Your Word, guide me in love to feed those who are hungry, and walk beside those who are in distress. Show me the things that I have become reliant on over the years, when I have looked for comfort in other places, may I look to You alone. Please heal me, as I seek to be Your light to those who are in need.
In Your name,
Amen

Today,  Be Transformed subscribers will receive a PDF copy of the study for today, and a feed the hungry card, to go with your other cards.

See you on Friday, for the last Be Transformed post .

Anita x

You are invited to follow me on Twitter

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Anita

Hi, nice to meet you :) As well as Scattering the Stones ministry I also co-run Hope Flourishes ministry, with Salina. My heart's desire is to share God's love and His message of hope, particularly with those who are hurting. I love nature; as I see God’s hand in creation as a mark of His love for us. I design cards with the hope to brighten someone's day. I am also a children’s author, running an anti-bullying campaign to encourage children to tell someone if they are being bullied. For more information please see my about page and manifesto.

Latest posts by Anita (see all)

• God knows what you need - 19/06/2013
• Where’s your hiding place? - 18/06/2013
• Floral canvas prints for sale - 13/06/2013
• Will everything be okay? - 12/06/2013
• Jesus will carry your burdens - 11/06/2013