Mother's Day 2024: What Mothers Want For Their Kids

Matthew 5:6 (NIV) 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

"Wisdom (חָכְמָה, ḥokmâ) is personified as a woman in Prov 8–9 and is contrasted with 'Lady Folly' in Prov 9:13–18. Both Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly beckon to 'the simple' (Prov 9:4, 16) and promise benefits to all who come to them, but only wisdom truly gives life (Prov 9:11)." [1]

A Good Addiction

Christian moms want their kids to become more like Jesus, to become addicted to righteousness. Jesus calls us to intensely desire those things that will truly satisfy. Righteousness ultimately means being like the Lord Jesus Christ, corresponding to the will of God in our lives. It is what brings satisfaction. To be satisfied means to be filled to overflowing, akin to having a full stomach. Righteousness brings satisfaction, but without desiring it, we will never attain it.

The question is: How good do we want to be? Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is a deep desire to be free even from the very desire for sin. Rather than craving one more drink, one more pill (beyond prescription), one more puff, one more purchase, or one more glance, the one who hungers after righteousness desires to rid themselves of sin. If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we yearn to serve more, to give more, and to love more because we want to be like Jesus.

Most people would say it’s good to be a little righteous sometimes. They think it could be a positive thing in moderation, but not a necessity, and not as important as food and drink. In contrast, a starving person knows nothing of moderation but has a single, all-consuming obsession for food. Our obsession for righteousness should be just as strong and all-consuming.

Do you long for righteousness as a thirsty person longs for water? How intense is your hunger and thirst to obey God and to be like Jesus? Perhaps this is the one Beatitude the Spirit of God is pressing on you, and the resulting blessing will be your utter satisfaction. And it will make your mom happy.

[1] Nettelhorst, R. P. “Wisdom.” Ed. Douglas Mangum et al. Lexham Theological Wordbook 2014 : n. pag. Print. Lexham Bible Reference Series.