Weekend Worship—Unfulfilled...or Truly Hungry

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Matthew 5:6

My husband and I began the spiritual discipline of fasting almost twenty years ago. I’ve learned many things through fasting, but one of the most profound was the difference between being unfulfilled as opposed to truly hungry.

Very few of us in the United States experience true hunger. We often claim to be hungry when really we just want something. Want versus need.  A question of semantics…or is it?

That word need means many things to many people. I used to think it was a synonym for the word want. And although I still occasionally treat it as such, I now know the difference.

God has used the experience of truly needing food, as opposed to wanting something in my mouth, to teach me about other things throughout the years. This past year He showed me the difference between wanting to write because I felt unfulfilled versus needing to write because I was hungry to serve Him.

Throughout my career as a freelance writer I’ve had the opportunity to write many things. And I’ve become comfortable with several different disciplines, especially in the realm of non-fiction. But this year God’s call involved writing fiction. Something I’ve always dreamed of doing full-time, but have also feared attempting. You see, I have a certain track record with non-fiction, and I know I can succeed there. Now fiction, that’s another thing altogether. Taking that on means stretching, growing, and more importantly relying TOTALLY on God.

What it boils down to is that writing non-fiction fills up an empty place inside me, but it no longer satisfies the hunger God has places within me. So I invite you to join me, reach past what leaves you full yet unfulfilled, and let God feed the hunger He’s placed inside you.