Lead with Spiritual Hunger

Have you ever been busy with a task when your stomach starts to grumble, and suddenly it's hard to concentrate on anything but your hunger? There are a million things that can take up our attention throughout the day, but when hunger sets in it's likely to take priority over everything else. It's one of the most basic driving forces and motivators.

On Friday the three month School of Ministry of Ministry Development that I've been staffing here at YWAM LA came to a close. On our last morning of teaching our speaker talked about how to stay hungry and not spiritually plateau.

I love the incredibly simple promise of Jesus; "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" [Matthew 5:6]. Seems pretty straightforward, but how do you hunger when you're not hungry? That can be simple too; ask God for hunger! Every day I can wake up, give my day to God and pray for more hunger. And if I'm spending time with Him, time in His word, and time around other hungry people chances are I'm going to have a vibrant spiritual hunger and a vibrant walk with God.

Our teacher said that to avoid falling into a spiritual plateau we should continually assess ourselves. What skills do I want to sharpen? What books should I read? What relationships do I want to cultivate? That's a major one for me. Who do I look to for coaching and mentorship? Who do I intentionally disciple and pour into? Challenging. Good thoughts to think. Our spiritual hunger must be coupled with accountability. We're all fragile and we need other people to pick us up, hold us up, and launch us forward.

I love what our speaker, Jim Orred, said; "accountability happens when you invite others into your life to give input on your priorities and your relationships". Hunger leads to growth, but growth requires humility and a fare dose of discomfort.

2 Kings chapter 5 tells the story of Naaman, the commander of a kings army who had leprosy. On the word of an Israelite servant girl he traveled to seek healing from a foreign prophet he did not know, Elisha. He was hungry to receive his healing. Even though he was angered by Elisha's methods, still he obeyed his instructions and was healed. Hunger trumped his pride. And how did Elisha have such power and spiritual authority? Because he too was hungry. He had followed an incredible spiritual leader. He followed Elijah to the very end of his life even when Elijah had tried to turn him away, and he asked for a double portion of the spirit that Elijah possessed [2 Kings 2].

God created us and the noble dreams and desires within us, but they are only an invitation. It's up to us to go after them! He must be so excited when we get hungry for Him because there are so many amazing things He wants to give us!

Life may place a lot of demands on me, but I hope that wherever I am and whatever I'm doing I will have an underlying spiritual hunger that pushes me forward. Just like that growling in my stomach, I want a stirring in my spirit that tells me there is more. Father, help us to be hungry! You are so good and so vast. There is more!


"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" - James 4:8

Thank you Jesus!