What Does It Mean to Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness?
“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.” – Romans 5:7
There is something profound about the way we hunger and thirst in life. Our desires, our cravings—they tell us something about who we are and where we are going. When Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6), He was pointing to a deep, existential longing that exists in all of us. The problem? We often aim at the wrong target.
Defining the Aim: What is Righteousness?
The concept of righteousness is central to everything. The Greek word for righteousness (dikaiosunē) refers to being in right standing with God. But here’s the kicker—none of us, by our own effort, can ever be truly righteous. Romans 3:23 makes it plain: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
So, if we cannot be righteous on our own, what does it mean to hunger and thirst after righteousness? It means to set our aim—our deepest purpose—on aligning ourselves with God’s will and character. It means to pursue the highest good, the most transcendent cause in life, which is modeled perfectly in Jesus Christ.
The Meaning of Sin: Missing the Mark
The word sin originates from an archery term meaning to miss the mark. Picture yourself with a bow and arrow. Your goal is to hit the bullseye—perfect righteousness, perfect alignment with God’s will. But every shot you take falls short. Some arrows veer left, some right, and some lack the power to even reach the target.
This is the human condition. We are all archers aiming at righteousness but lacking the strength, precision, or vision to hit the bullseye. And here’s where Satan’s deception comes in—his entire strategy is to get you to misperceive the target. To aim at lesser things. To convince you that your striving is meaningless or, worse, that righteousness is an illusion.
But God’s grace enters the picture here.
Grace and Mercy: The Gift of the Target
Mercy is when God withholds what we rightfully deserve—judgment. Grace is when He gives us what we don’t deserve—a way forward. The very fact that we have a target to aim at is an act of mercy. And the fact that Jesus corrects our aim and gives us the power to shoot farther, straighter, and truer is an act of grace.
Micah 6:8 lays it out simply: What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Justice is about truth and integrity—aligning ourselves with what is right. Mercy is about extending grace to others just as we have received it. Humility is about recognizing that we can never hit the mark without God’s guidance.
The Ultimate Aim: The Model of Christ
If righteousness is the target, Christ is the perfect archer. He never missed. He lived a life of total alignment with God’s will. And because of His perfect shot—His sacrifice on the cross—we are invited into His righteousness.
As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
This is why we must follow Jesus. Not because we are trying to earn righteousness but because He is the only one who can align our aim. As we immerse ourselves in His teachings, His way of life, we begin to refine our aim. We learn to recognize the false targets—wealth, status, power, pleasure—that the enemy dangles before us. And we develop the discipline to draw back the bow, correct our posture, and shoot with intention.
Principles – Toward vs. Away: The Rules That Guide Us
To live a life that consistently moves toward righteousness, we must establish principles—rules that bring us closer to our core values. These are not legalistic constraints but guardrails that keep us from veering off-course.
A well-developed principle might be: I will seek truth even when it’s inconvenient. This directs you toward righteousness.
An away principle—one that pulls you from your aim—might be: I will avoid discomfort at all costs. This leads you away from growth, away from alignment with God’s will. The enemy uses deception, distraction, and accusation to subtly alter your aim, to make you justify a slight deviation, which over time leads to a completely different trajectory.
A Life in the Business of Correcting Aim
The process of sanctification—growing in righteousness—is not about suddenly becoming perfect. It is about being in the business of correcting your aim.
Every day is another shot at the target. Some days, you will miss badly. Other days, you will come close. But the expectation is not perfection—the expectation is that you aim and shoot with intent. That you stay in the process, that you recognize your misfires, and that you seek Christ’s guidance in correcting your trajectory.
This is what it means to hunger and thirst after righteousness. To not give up. To strive toward the highest good. To recognize that missing the mark is part of the journey—but that grace and mercy make it possible to get up, adjust, and fire again.
Jesus is the way. Follow Him, and your aim will become clearer. The target will become sharper. And one day, through His righteousness, you will hit the mark.
Discovering Your Aim: An Exercise
To begin correcting your aim, take time to reflect on your daily actions and motivations. Ask yourself:
- What am I truly aiming at in life?
- Are my choices aligning me with righteousness or leading me away?
- How do I handle adversity—do I react in fear, anger, or with endurance and grit?
- Am I sacrificing for the good of others in a way that reflects Christ?
Try this exercise for a week:
At the end of each day, write down one way you aligned your aim with righteousness and one way you missed the mark.
Pray for clarity, seek wise counsel, and refine your principles accordingly.
Over time, you will notice a transformation—not just in your spiritual life, but in your emotional resilience, state management, and ability to influence others positively.
Start aiming with intention today.
Visit www.keithmwaggoner.com to learn more and take the next step in your journey toward righteousness.