How Hungry Are You?
12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16Only let us hold true to what we have attained.— Philippians 3:12-16
Joy is a choice. Honestly, as hard as it is to accept, I much prefer the opposite. I like the idea that people and circumstances steal my joy. I hate the idea that on one level, it’s all me. I’m the reason that I don’t have joy.
That’s the truth.
I don’t know how your joy thing’s going, but I can tell you on the authority of God’s Word that if you’ve lost it, if you’ve needlessly given it away, you can find it again in the person of Jesus Christ Himself. You can choose the joy of Jesus Christ.
What’s one way to get the joy back? You’ve got to be hungry. The followers of Jesus Christ never “arrive” in this life. None of us will. When Paul wrote Philippians, he had been doing the Christian walk for decades, and he knew some things. Listen up to Philippians 3:15, “Let those of us who are mature think this way . . .” to which we should reply, “What way?” Well, the way that he was just talking about (read Philippians 3), the way of pressing on, and straining forward, that aggressive I-haven’t-arrived-yet mentality. Paul urges us to keep that mindset.
If you’ve known the Lord for a while, continue to think aggressively about all the growth ahead of you and all that is yet to be done for Christ. Are you doing that? The typical Christian has set the cruise control. They think, “the big changes are behind me. Oh, there might be a little tweeking to do over the next few years, but for the most part I’ve got the major stuff in place.” How tragic! We have not yet begun to plumb the depths of all that is ours in Christ. We must maintain the same hungry mentality we had when we first came to Christ.
Hungry followers never arrive. I wonder if Christ would say about any of us, “Man, those first days were so great. You loved Me and you loved My Word and you were so fervent; you wanted to grow. You had such joy. So what happened? Where did that person go?”
So what do you need to do today to regain lost joy? Do you need the Lord to re-ignite your hunger for Him? Do you need the reminder that you’ve not arrived spiritually? Get back on the track of abiding faith and deeper joy. Hunger. Hunger after God. —James MacDonald
Journal:
- How much joy am I feeling in my life right now?
- How much am I hungering after God right now? What can I do about that?
Prayer – Almighty Father, the circumstances of this world tell me that this is not my home. That would be with You in heaven. Help me to hunger and thirst after You. Forgive me for thinking that after my salvation somehow I have “arrived.” I have not. Please re-ignite my hunger for You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Always True: 5 Great and Precious Promises of God
5 CD Series Set - $35.00
Just how would believing God’s promises change your life?
Ask the greatest Christian you’ll ever meet if they hold on to God’s promises and they’ll all say yes. Believing that God will do what He promises leads to a great life. The greatest Christian you’ll every meet knows, treasures, and is resting in the promises of God. They cling to these assurances that God gives His people so they can walk by faith while they wait for Him to work.
So what exactly does God promise? In this topical study of what will always be true, Pastor James MacDonald will explore five great and precious promises that God keeps. Enter into this study with anticipation and faith that the God who makes these promises is faithful and true... always true.
