SERENDIPITOUS THOUGHTS BY SUGAR BEAR
" What Do You Crave?"
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Matthew 5:6
That is where courageous citizenship begins. A courageous citizen is not just hungry to be right; a courageous citizen hungers to do right.
In Braver Angels, we learn that courage is not shouting louder. Courage is listening deeper, speaking truth with love, and seeing the image of God even in people who disagree with us.
My Grandma Maggie would say, “Baby, don’t come to the table full of pride and empty of grace.” Righteousness teaches us to move from “me” to “we,” from winning the argument to healing the relationship, from feeding our anger to feeding our better angels.
Every day, little alarms go off inside of us. Our stomach growls. Our mouth waters. Our mind starts drifting toward whatever we crave. Hunger has a way of getting our attention.
I remember playing outside in park town ,for hours as a boy in Cincinnati. Sweaty. Dirty. Tired. I would come running into my Grandma Maggie’s house and head straight for the refrigerator. Grandma always seemed to have leftover Cincinnati 5-Way chili waiting on the stove or tucked away in the refrigerator even if dinner was only an hour away.
She would look at me and say:
“Boy, you done been outside all day playin’…
Now before you tear up my refrigerator, tell me
what are you really hungry for?”
Back then, I thought she was just talking about food. But now I realize Grandma Maggie understood something deeper about life and about God.
“A hungry stomach will make noise…
but a hungry soul will make confusion.”
God gave us physical hunger to teach us about spiritual hunger. Just like the body needs food, the soul needs truth, purpose, forgiveness, hope, justice, peace, and love.
Some people spend their whole lives feeding their bodies while starving their souls.
Grandma used to say:
“Ronnie, chili can fill your belly…
but only God can settle your spirit.” with her giant grandma Maggie smile; boy I miss you grand ma, and your
old sayings still sticks with me today.
Jesus said:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Not blessed are those who crave attention.
Not blessed are those who hunger for power.
Not blessed are those chasing applause, politics, money, or status.
Jesus said blessed are those who hunger for righteousness.
That means longing for what is right in the eyes of God. Wanting justice for others. Loving people who are hard to love. Standing for truth when it costs something.
Seeking God even when the world is chasing something else.
In God’s upside-down kingdom, the empty can be filled. The weak can become strong. The broken can find healing.
Jesus is the Bread of Life and the Living Water. He stands ready to fill every hungry heart that seeks Him.
So today, before you run to the refrigerator of the world, ask yourself:
What do you really crave?
God bless you and this ministry!
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