Those who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

 
Blessed are the meek. For they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, For they shall be filled with mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called Sons of God

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake, Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Matthew 5:3-12

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. (vs 6)

    To be righteous in the biblical sense is not being prideful or arrogant in a "I am am Christian, so I can do no wrong" sort of way. It is choosing, despite the challenges and temptations of life, to live a life pleasing to God. When we strive to live a righteous life, it means that above all else, we have decided to put God first. That whether or not people are watching, we live lives filled with integrity and moral standing.  A life that people can count on. A person who is trustworthy and a safe place for people to be themselves around. In moments of praying for others and speaking words of encouragement, I have been told that I have this character trait from God, and it is truly something that, as humbly as I can be, I try to live my life in this manner. We all have that one friend who we feel like we don't have to put up a wall or wear a mask when we are near them. If you don't have a person like this in your life, I encourage you to seek somebody who exhibits these examples. I'm not saying every new person you meet you should dump all of your problems on. What I am saying is that as you are out and about, pray that God will lead you to a person who's spirit makes your spirit be at rest. What Jesus is describing in this 4th Beatitude is that we should all be people who hunger and thirst for more of God. That we will never stop at just enough, but live a life where the righteousness of the Father flows freely onto our lives and the people who do life with us all the time. There is a phrase that has circulated the Christian Community for a long time now and it says this: 

"Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words."

When we live a life that hungers and thirst for Righteousness, we will chase after a life that is right, and moral and good, not just how the world describes these terms, but right in God's eyes. By striving to do right, not by being perfect, but choosing God's path, we will sometimes share the goodness of God through our actions, more than our words on some occasions. When people know you are a Christ-follower, they tend to watch how you respond to things that anger or upset other people. They watch what you do when things don't go as planned and they see they things that get under your skin. I hope when they look at my life, they don't see bitterness or frustration, but a calm, at peace life that doesn't get tossed by the winds and the waves that try to sink us. 

Adam Semple- A  Young Man on a Journey into the Sermon on the Mount