In the chilly summer of 1908-1909, Sir Ernest Shackleton and three brave companions set out on an ambitious mission. They determined to trek across the Antarctic until they reached the South Pole. After a few weeks, their four ponies succumbed to the cold hardship, their rations were nearly exhausted and the weather was bitterly opposed to their efforts. In his written record, The Heart of the Antarctic, Shackleton writes of their hazardous 127-day journey and their peril-ridden return home. Staggering through the frozen terrain, they suffered dysentery and experienced excruciating hunger. Almost every waking moment was concentrated on thoughts and talks of elaborate feasts and favorite dishes. With desperate intensity, they ached for the satisfaction of food and drink. Only by recalling our worst hunger, can we begin to imagine the sort of deprivation-induced yearning these men endured.

Jesus, who understood the painful ache of severe hunger (being one of the few biblical characters to fast forty days), once said: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6, KJV) With a little imagination, we can understand Shackleton’s obsession with food, which offers us a glimpse of the passion Jesus intends for the believer in his quest for righteousness. He intends that we ache for it, long for it, and desire it with all our hearts, insomuch, that it directs our choices, determines our speech and guides our impulses. A true disciple must hunger and thirst after righteousness – not as a passive ambition, but as a driving compellation.

Holiness has always been a priority with God and an element in His relationship with man. He, Himself, is perfect holiness and He expects His children to do and be the same. In both the Old and New Testaments, we find the Father’s admonition: “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2, I Peter 1:16) Integrity-lined moral courage may be contrary to our natural inclination, but it is imperative to the success our renewed life in Him. We are not loved more or less for our good works, but our love for God is demonstrated heartily in them. (Ephesians 2:8-9, I John 14:15) Purity in the life of a Christian disciple is an inescapable and divine calling; it is a privilege that allows us to offer our virtuosities as love offerings to a wonderful Savior.

Will we ever fail in our pursuit of holiness…even when we’re trying really, really hard? Yes, and most likely often over the span of a lifetime. But, God has instituted a system for pardon – we penitently confess our sin and He abundantly forgives. (Isaiah 55:7) The nonnegotiable factor is not necessarily the accumulative totality of our goodness, but rather the quality of our heart condition. “For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7) While people may see faltering efforts, God may see a hungry heart. Let righteousness begin there - with a love for God and a soul committed to Christ-resemblance. ”Holiness does not consist in mystic speculations, enthusiastic fervors, or uncommanded austerities; it consists in thinking as God thinks and willing as God wills.” (John Brown)

Failure may frustrate us and maybe it should. But, we must learn to fall and rise, fall and rise, fall and rise. As wise King Solomon pointed out: “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20, NIV) We need fresh and daily applications of pardoning mercy. Never fall down without getting up – from the ground, to your knees, and then back to a stand in grace.

For those blessed souls whose hearts do burn for Christ-like righteousness, let His benediction be your joy and comfort: There is coming a day when you will ‘be filled’. Your hunger and thirst will finally be satisfied in the rich, divine holiness of His everlasting presence and in the purity of the heavenlies. But until that day comes, let’s live in such a way that we can say of our lives, “Lord, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

Liz Miller lives in Daphne with her husband Matt and son, Logan. She looks forward to responding to your thoughts, prayer requests and guest speaker invitations, please write to millerfam3@hotmail.com.