“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.” (Philippians 1:9 NLT)

 

I eat dinner at five o’clock. But I get hungry around three o’clock. So I start counting off the time until I eat. I look forward to my meal. Sometimes I get tempted to eat something to hold me over. You know, when five o’clock seems like it will never get here, and there’s a Taco Bell nearby. I start thinking about a burrito supreme—or maybe just a taco to hold me over.

The problem is that it spoils my appetite. When I fill up on something that’s not good for me, it makes me lose my appetite for things that are good for me.

The same thing can happen to us spiritually. There are things we do, places we go, and people we hang out with that dull us spiritually. They make us lose our appetite for the things of God. They stunt our growth. When we indulge ourselves with them, the result is that we want to do less, and not more, spiritually.

On the flip side, there are other people who inspire us spiritually by their example and by the godliness of their character. They don’t hold themselves up as role models and ask, “Why aren’t you more like me?” They simply live their faith in a way that’s not just inspiring, but also motivating. Being with them stimulates our hunger for Jesus.

And that’s a good thing, because it comes down to this: As Christians, there’s always more for us to know about being disciples. There’s always more for us to learn about sharing our faith and encouraging others. There’s always more to discover in God’s Word.

The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:9, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding” (nlt). His point is that you’re never done as a Christian. No matter how much you love, you can love more. No matter how much you pray, you can pray more. No matter how much you obey, you can obey more.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6 NIV). I don’t know about you, but I think all Christians should look at themselves and say, “I’m not content with where I’m at spiritually. There’s more to change in my life. I need to become more like Jesus.”

The moment you fold your arms and say, “I’m content with where I am,” you set yourself up for a fall. When Jesus said, “Unless you . . . become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3 NLT), He wasn’t talking about being childish. He was talking about being childlike—always growing, always learning, and sometimes relearning things that we forget.

Stay hungry for God’s truth. Thirst after righteousness. Refuse to rest on your spiritual laurels. As long as you have breath, continue to grow in your relationship with Christ. Look for ways to be a more effective prayer warrior and evangelist. If you do, God promises that you will be filled—and fulfilled.

 

Reflection Question: How can you “stay hungry” in your Christian faith?

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