[Tweet “We all want to be #right- but do we want to be #righteous? “]
[Tweet “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for #righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Matt. 5:6”]
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What is righteousness?
I’m not talking about “self righteousness” which so many people accuse Christians of being if they dare voice what the Bible states concerning “right” or “wrong”.
SELF righteousness is believing and trusting in myself and my feelings and my abilities and my opinions, thinking I can save myself and put myself in right standing with God.
Self righteousness is believing I can define what is”right” better than God defines what is right.
God alone defines what RIGHTEOUSNESS is – because He is Perfect Justice and Perfect Love.
[Tweet “God is in the generation of the #righteous. #GodsPresence Psalm 14:5”]
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In other words, God has a higher understanding and motivation; He is commanding justice, love, and righteousness into our lives.
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[Tweet “God’s Kingdom will be established on #righteousness, #peace, and #joy. #KingdomCome”]
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The Bible tells us we’re to practice righteousness, love righteousness, thirst for righteousness, hunger for righteousness, wear the breastplate of righteousness, and pursue righteousness!
Of course it’s a a daily battle. I don’t always want what God wants. A lot of times I just want my own way. But I don’t want to want my own way! 🙂
It really comes down to what I’m chasing- what I’m hungering and thirsting for. Do I pursue what I want or am I chasing after God’s heart and highest good for my life? Until we can chase after righteousness for ourselves, it does no good to complain about the unrighteousness of others.
Father God,
Oh, God! I beg for Your Spirit to set us free to live in Your highest good for our lives!
I hunger. I thirst. I pray righteousness will take over my heart. I pray for a spiritual awakening to seek first Your kingdom! Ramp up my passion to live according to Your ways! Let me be clothed in Your love, speak Your truth, shine Your light, and make Your name famous. Bring righteousness alive to each one of us, oh Lord. Change your people, our nation, our world!
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
Amen.
Surprising Treasures: For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17
Thank you Cindy. Perfect read for the Fourth of July. The cross marks the time and place when humanity was truly set free.
Whom the Son sets FREE is FREE indeed! Hallelujah!
It just dawned on me! Our physical hungering and thirsting can be a reminder for seeking God’s righteousness several times a day! I love it – thank you so much for inspiring me. 🙂
What a great idea, Edy. I hadn’t thought about the “old fashioned” word “righteousness” for a long time. But when I started reading about God’s righteousness- I was stirred- Our hunger is for God- whether we know it or not. hugs
This is like a wake up call for those who are unaware of their self-righteousness. It’s good to strive to be perfect but sometimes in the process, we forget to love. Which is the highest commandment.