"An Insatiable Craving for a Deeper Fullness": True Celebrities IV

Fiction: 

In 1978 Maya Angelou wrote, "You may write me down in history, with your bitter twisted lies; you may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I'll rise." Only 32 years later on January 5th, 2010 my own history was written as formidable power was transferred into my hands and I became a top executive here at Inspiring Missions Ltd. I knew instinctively that this was not something I deserved or desired this early in my career, yet God gave the green light. I, Temisan, of all people? Dear God, look at what You have allowed. A despicable case of insanity and down-trodden dirt. 


Each morning I walk through those double-doors I feel their eyes staring at me, like eagles waiting for their prey to die. My co-workers became jealous after my promotion. It didn't make things any easier when a complex problem arose with project #3. If I didn't fix it fast I would become dead prey. So at 5.00p.m, even after everyone picked up their suitcases and called it quits for the day, I remained right there behind my desk. My plan: I would not go back home until I solved the problem. 

8.00p.m: I cross out plan B and reconsider plan A. 

9:01p.m: I remember I didn't have breakfast or lunch today. Regardless, I do not move one inch away from my desk. I remain.  

9:30p.m: I cross out both plans A and B. I begin to draw a new sketch. I rest my temples on my desk as sleep begins to call my name. I slowly drift away and dream of oceans and beaches.

11:30p.m: I wake up to the sounds of my growling stomach and begin to feel sore. I still have not eaten or solved the problem. I bend over and start to writhe in pain. My bowel is beginning to feel like a bursting sack. I am hungry and thirsty but I don't try to get up. Needless to say, I have a bigger insatiable craving for a solution to project #3, and I am not going to desert it for a smaller desire for food, water, or sleep.

* * * * * * *

Today's Celebrities: The Hungry & Thirsty:

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they shall be filled"  

Matthew 5:6

With each beatitude we unravel comes a revelation that Jesus did not mean "basic stuff." He was not talking about a hunger and thirst for physical food, neither was He talking about just any type of hunger or thirst, but He was speaking of stronger impulses of our senses. The following will at least draw you closer to the truth of this verse:


HUNGER (Greek word: Peinao)- Greek Lexicon:


The origin of this Greek word means "pinching toil" and it's translated as "to suffer want or hunger." When I think of "pinching toil," I think of working hard under the scorching sun and still not finding the right spot to bury my hatchet; excruciating toiling that leads to frustration and suffering. To me this kind of hunger is more as a result of starvation, as opposed to just being hungry for a snack. It's more like feeling as if your intestines are suffocating, if you get my drift. So to hunger for righteousness is not the same as merely "wanting to know God's word." More than that, it means wanting to know God so much that you bury yourself into God's word until you become frustrated and bury yourself again for the second, third, fourth, and fifth time...until righteousness evades your life and you become unstoppable. 


THIRST (Greek word: Dipsao)- Greek Lexicon


The Greek word indicates a deeper form of "thirst"- i.e. painfully longing for a refreshing of the soul. Again this is like "pinching toil" above. Both of these Greek word origins have to do with a "painful" attribution. They are needs that if not fulfilled could lead to self-dissatisfaction.

SATISFIED CRAVINGS:

The conclusion is that if we don't bury ourselves in the pinching toil and painful process of searching for the refreshing of our souls with God's word (righteousness), we won't be satisfied (filled). Do you know why I think this hunger and thirst involves "pain"? Because the world has released lots of polluted toxins into the atmosphere that hurt our eyes and irritate our skins. So the word of God has become like a prescribed medication from the doctor. It was never intended to be a painful process. We weren't created to be hungry and thirsty for righteousness, we were created to just bask in His presence without searching for it (garden of Eden). But the world is different today, and we need to immerse ourselves in the 'painful' hunger and thirst for His righteousness so that we can be filled. In this case hunger and thirst are more than just ordinary "desires," they involve "toiling" and "seeking" as a result of those desires. And after toiling and seeking, the filling comes.

What is your level of hunger and thirst for God? Is it beyond a basic "want" or does it make you bury yourself in the Word of God more and more until every confusion about Him is erased? I would love to read your comments. 

Photo 1 by Davidrummer (Flickr)

Photo 2 by Eric-Mack (flickr)