The Real Meaning of Life

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.” – Matthew 5:6

After Jesus selected His disciples, He began touring the land, teaching in the synagogues and along the way, healing people of their illnesses. Jesus didn’t come to earth to heal the sick, He came to show us the truth about God which had been greatly misconstrued over the years.

A great number of people began following Him, listening to His teachings, so one day after a very large crowd had gathered, He went to the top of a hill that overlooked the Sea of Galilee and began teaching what has been called “The Beatitudes”. His teachings also became labeled as “The Sermon on the Mount”.

The “beatitudes”, the content of Jesus’ sermon, are defined by Merriam-Webster as “a state of bliss” or in Christianity, the “declarations made by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.” Synonyms for the word include joy, happiness, and blissfulness. And most likely, if you exhibit the declarations Jesus made, your life will certainly be joyful and happy.

One of the beatitudes is the subject of today’s reflection. Recorded in Matthew Chapter 5, Verse 6, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” What does this mean to you?

God knows we are all imperfect Christians. We are born into sin and truly have no choice over it, all we can do is to love God and do our best. That best, as this beatitude says, is to have a “hunger and thirst” for righteousness. Even though we will never achieve it, we can always pursue it. We should love God and obey His commands, which aren’t oppressive rules meant to control us, but rather rules for living that will guarantee we will have a happy life and treat others kindly, coexisting with them in love and peace.

Our thirst for righteousness should be so great that we deny ourselves of earthly pleasures and instead, bury ourselves in God’s Word so we find the real meaning of life, which is to have a productive and personal relationship with God.

All God wants is for us to love Him and lead a good life. Jesus said, “love your neighbor as thyself”. If we do these things, we will sincerely show a desire to seek righteousness. And one final comment, never give up. Never. As sinners, we will fail daily. That doesn’t mean we are cursed, but just like learning how to ride a bike, we need to get back up, dust ourselves back off, and start again. If you acknowledge your sins and confess to God, His Mercy will endure forever.