Why Do We Spiritually Starve Ourselves?

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.”  

Righteousness is truth and has been served to us on a silver platter in the scriptures.

When the scriptures are easily accessible, why do we pass over the feast?

Here are EIGHT reasons why we spiritually starve ourselves:

1. We might think that attending church on Sunday, like having a snack before dinner, is enough religion; we don’t need to read the scriptures or pray on our own. 
2. We may have become comfortable with less spiritual guidance, like living on a constant spiritual diet. 
3. We’ve slipped into spiritual slumber, and seeking God’s truth is too much effort; our personal spiritual development would rather stay in bed than come to the table.
4. Like kids who hate broccoli, hard truths and commandments can seem distasteful to us, so we avoid them. 
5. Maybe we don’t like the decorations at the dinner party. We complain about how the church is run, and our pettiness gets in the way of God’s goodness.
6. We bring our phones to the table and become so captivated by what we see on the screen that we miss the nourishment. Our time is wasted playing and not invested in praying.
7. We sometimes fight with others, which spoils the meal. When we have conflict with someone else, the Spirit does not stay where there is anger. And without the Spirit, we cannot know the things of God.
8. We’ve grown accustomed to junk food and haven’t developed a taste for the wholesome truth. 

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How do we develop an appetite for righteousness? 

Start with prayer. Pray to Heavenly Father to increase your hunger and thirst after righteousness. 

Start reading the scriptures. I suggest beginning in the New Testament and studying Christ’s life and teachings. The more you know, the greater your desire to return to the truth will grow.