Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness: Craving God's Ways

Hey there, have you ever wondered what it would be like if Jesus were in the car with you on the way to school? What would he say to help you start your day? Right, join us as we open the Bible and discover how Jesus might guide us on Carpooling with Jesus. Let's make every car ride a faith filled moment. I'm Pastor Justin and today we're gonna talk about the importance of being filled up by God. Have you ever been super hungry or thirsty after a big game or a long day? Today, we're going to talk about what it means to be hungry and thirsty for something even better than food, God's righteousness. Buckle up because this is going to be a good one. In Matthew chapter 5, verse 6, in the section of Scripture called the Beatitudes, Jesus says, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled up. Hmm, what does it mean to? Let's dig into that. So what is righteousness? And why would we hunger and thirst for it? Righteousness is a big word that means living the way God wants us to. Doing what's right. Being kind. Loving others. And following God's ways. Righteousness, it's about having a heart that wants to do good things and love like Jesus. When Jesus talks about being hungry and thirsty for righteousness, he's saying that we should want to do the right thing. Just like we crave our favorite snack or a cold drink on a hot day. Think about when you're super hungry. All you can think about is food, right? Maybe I'm making you hungry right now. Think about it. When you're super hungry, all you can think about is food, right? You're looking for a snack in the fridge or asking when dinner will be ready. Jesus is saying that we should have the same desire to live in a way that pleases God, and here's the awesome promise. When we hunger and thirst for God's ways, he promises to fill us up. That means God will give us everything we need to live how he wants us to, and satisfy our hearts with his love and goodness. So how can we hunger and thirst for righteousness in our everyday lives? It might mean choosing to be kind when it's easier to be mean, or telling the truth when it's easier to lie. When it's hard, we know what that's like, right? At school, when we're taking a test and maybe we saw our friend's answers or the answers on our teacher's desk. Or maybe it's when we took a couple extra Oreos before dinner without telling or asking mom and dad. It's like choosing to do the right thing, not because we must, but because we want to make God happy. You can start by praying each day, like this. God, help me to want what you want and live like Jesus. And when we mess up, because we all do sometimes, we can ask for God's help and he will keep filling us up with his love and forgiveness. This week, when you're hungry or thirsty, let it remind you to also fill up on God's goodness by being kind, loving, and doing what's right. All right, friends. That's today's ride. Remember, just like we crave food and our favorite drink when we're hungry, we can also crave what's good and right in God's eyes. And when we do, God promises to fill us with everything we need. Thanks for hanging out with me. I hope today's carpool filled you with hope and excitement to live the way God wants. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Don't miss tomorrow's episode of Carpooling with Jesus, where we turn every car ride into a faith filled moment. And parents, if you enjoy this podcast, share it with your parent friends so they can turn their car rides into faith filled moments, too. Here's today's question. Try and answer it before you get out of the car. Can you think of a time when you had to make a hard choice to do the right thing, even if it wasn't easy?