Hunger

In the process of once again trying to lose some weight, I am coming up against an old enemy. To avoid dealing with this foe I have gone to many lengths to ensure that it would not inflict itself on my life. I have planned my days around keeping it at bay, and made bad choices on the occasion when it has had the chance to overtake me. This nemesis is hunger. A side effect of 'eating less and moving more,' is hunger between meals. As I continue to exercise and build muscle mass, I believe that my metabolism will even out. As my body adjusts to the smaller, more sensible portions, my stomach will, I'm hoping, shrink down a little so that I do not feel like death warmed over until my next meal.


Today I decided to take a spiritual look at hunger, and I realized how much it can teach me. I hate being hungry because its uncomfortable. Because I have low blood sugar, If I stay hungry for too long, I get shaky and faint. When I am hungry I feel distracted and all I can think about for any length of time is getting something to eat. These days I am learning to face hunger and actually use it to help me to be more disciplined. Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Now, if I could hunger for righteousness in the same way I hunger for food, my life would truly glorify God. If I could focus on reading God's word the way I focus on composing my shopping list or planning menus, maybe my life would be that much more pleasing to God. In Deuteronomy 8:3 Moses said to the Isrealites, "He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." I need to remember that I am not this body, rather I am of spirit that is of God, who is the creator of everything that was created. When I am ready to lay this body down and go and meet Jesus, he won't care what that body looked like because it will be mouldering in the dirt. But I think He will care that I had discipline and did not give in to gluttony and to the pursuit of comfort over my pursuit of righteousness.


My aim is to turn these feelings of hunger around and use them as a way of heightening my awareness of how much I need God in my life. I will allow the hunger to steer my attention back to the Lord and give Him thanks and praise because although I feel the hunger, I know where my next meal is coming from. Through bringing my sacrifice of hunger and laying it at the foot of the cross, I can rejoice because I know that Jesus has already fought and won this battle for me. My task is to faithful and obedient and He will supply the strength I need to face hunger down and release me from its bondage forever.


A bright glimmer of hope can be found in Luke 6:21, which says, "Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh."