By Mallory Mattingly
Nathan Carter, an Atlanta Falcons running back and a follower of Christ, reminded his Instagram followers of what it means to truly “hunger” and “thirst” for righteousness.
Carter began a post on Instagram by quoting Matthew 5:6, where Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
“‘Hunger’ in Greek signifies more than the lack of food; it’s being completely famished,” the athlete explained. “Similar to Jesus’ own hunger after His 40-day fast. ‘Thirst’ conveys a severe dehydration that could lead to death. This imagery illustrates the deep spiritual desperation that we all possess that must be filled with God’s righteousness, which is essential to our survival.”
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Carter continued, “The problem lies not in the hunger and thirst for our souls. It lies in our attempts to fill our hunger with meaningless things. We hunger for wealth, and yet no amount of money can fill the void. We hunger for power, and yet nothing that we ever conquer or own will be enough.”
The running back then quoted Charles Spurgeon, who once said, “Worldly amusement is like filling a hungry person with shadows; religious duty without Christ is like filling a soul with bubbles.”
“It is only when we recognize our spiritual desperation and longing for something more that we will be filled with the refreshing presence of Jesus. This is the type of righteousness that Jesus spoke about,” Carter emphasized. “Righteousness isn’t some form of perfection. It is ‘right relatedness’ with God, humanity and creation. It’s restoring our souls with complete harmony with God, which is our soul’s true home.”
“When we hunger for righteousness, we’re pursuing alignment with God’s design across creation: how we treat others, steward resources, speak truth and order our lives according to God’s word. This is what completely satisfies us,” he added. “Jesus doesn’t condemn us for being hungry; He promises to feed us. He doesn’t condemn our thirst; He invites us to drink from His well deeply.”
Carter concluded his message by encouraging followers to lean on Christ amid “spiritual hunger and thirst.”
“Though we already have satisfaction in Christ, we have not yet experienced its fullness. That fullness will come when He returns and fulfills His promises. (Revelation 7:16-17) You cannot and will not quench your hunger and thirst apart from the God who created your hunger precisely so that he could satisfy it. Turn to Jesus, and you will be filled,” Carter said.
That’s a powerful reminder that true spiritual fulfillment will only be found in a deep, intentional relationship with Christ.
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