Do you get frustrated with your sin? Do you ever get tired of failing? Do you look at yourself and wish you were more godly or righteous?

The Bible uses hunger and thirst to describe our spiritual state. We know what it feels like to be thirsty or to want something to eat. We also understand that without food and drink we would die. This translates well into our spiritual life. If we go without spiritual food for too long we will become weak in our knowledge of God and dehydrated in our faith. 

Jesus tells us that hungering and thirsting for righteousness is a good thing. It is good because we tend to desire things we love and if we hunger for righteousness we are showing that we love it. It also shows that we understand Romans 3:23,

“There is no one righteous, not even one.”

Where do we look if we can’t create a righteousness of our own? We must look outside of ourselves to the one who is RIghteousness. We must look to Jesus. 

“And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith”  Philippians 3:9

Having a deep desire to be more like Jesus is what will cause us to continue to pursue him, it will keep us humble, understanding that we are not righteousness on our own, and it will keep us thankful that Jesus would give us his righteousness, despite the fact that we don’t deserve it. 

But how easy is it to clutter our life with events, to-do lists, work, friends, family cares and just the demands of everyday life? And isn’t this also true mentally? We can clutter our mind with fears, worries, concerns, bitterness, and obsessions. Unfortunately, a cluttered life will cause us to pursue the immediate instead of the eternal. We will ignore the pursuit of righteousness and instead pursue a good life. 

 Let’s remember Matthew 6:33 where Jesus gives us the best advice. 

 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

The end of the year is coming quickly and we love a fresh start, don’t we? So, take the next couple months to declutter your life, and make the pursuit of righteousness a priority. 

Looking to Jesus,

Week 3 Challenge: Make a list of your goals. They can be goals for your life, your year, or your month. Is one of your goals growing in righteousness? Do you hunger for righteousness? If not, pray that the Lord would give you that hunger and continue to seek Him in His Word. If you do desire righteousness, make a list of all the ways you can seek it daily.

Reading Plan

Memory Verse

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Jen Thorn

Jen Thorn grew up in Germany and then spent her teenage years in Africa, where her parents were missionaries. She moved to the United States for college and attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where she met her husband. They have been married for twenty-two years and have four children. Jen lives in the suburbs of Chicago, where her husband is the pastor of Redeemer Fellowship. Jen is passionate about theology and the connection to daily living.