Okay. I'm up at 4 AM and this thought keeps entering my mind, "Right now, I'm really hungry for a bowl of Apple Jacks." But to get up out of bed would risk waking my entire family for this craving of mine. Not a good scene. Besides, I just had a large snack before bedtime (chicken pot pie). How healthy is that? So I'm thinking, there is no possible way that I could still be hungry. So where does this craving come from?
Hence, the question: Do cravings produce hunger, or does hunger produce cravings?
Hunger is the body's physical expression or signal that it must be fed for life to continue. A craving is an emotional response to something that is lacking. Cravings come and go, but hunger is a continuous cycle.
My God must be more than Apple Jacks to me. Don't get me wrong. Having a craving for God is a good thing. But if I build my relationship with Him simply on raw emotions, I will be quickly defeated and disappointed. Why? Because you and I are one big craving factory. And it is impossible to keep our cravings in line or to place them in a certain order of priority. In other words, I could sell out on God for a piece of chocolate if I let my immediate cravings rule. This is what the Devil tried to do with Jesus in the desert. He showed Jesus several big bowls of Apple Jacks and said, " If you bow down to me, I can get that for you." Fortunately, Jesus didn't go for the bait. Jesus, although physically hungry, even resisted the craving.
Okay, let me land the plane.
To hunger for God might be a better direction to go than to have a craving for Him. Hunger is a natural signal for the body to absorb the right amount of daily nutrients from God. Cravings tend to produce outrageous size bites that, if not monitored, can leave you sick to your stomach. Some people approach church or worship this way. They crave the experience more than the hunger of the relationship. As one theologian once stated, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but You, my God, are the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:26)
May God be your portion today. May your spirit always hunger for Him. And lay off the Apple Jacks.
