By Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6
Forever longing to do what is right in a world where wickedness is the norm is a depressing experience. Every time you see the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer, the personal desire to still keep doing right takes another blow of discouragement. Amidst your great desire to always do what is right, you still find yourself giving in to sinful desires, sinful thoughts, and sinful actions, and again your desire to always do what is right takes a blow, this time a blow of defeat.
Yet, as Jesus says, those who have an intense desire to always do what is right, will be satisfied! That is completely opposite to our experiences, is it not? Where does that satisfaction come from?!
Philippians 3:9 explains where the satisfaction from the seemingly futile attempt at righteousness comes from. Blessed satisfaction in righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ. When we are clothed with Christ’s righteousness, then we can hold our head high in righteousness throughout this evil world. When wickedness seems to flourish, and our own hearts seem beset with evil, we can look to the righteousness of Christ that is ours, and we can long even more intensely to keep doing what is right, knowing that we are not aiming at something unattainable, but are merely hungering and thirsting after that which is already ours.
Desire, always, to keep on doing the next right thing. Fix your eyes on Jesus who did nothing wrong at any time. Know that His righteousness is yours by faith. Maintain your desire for it, until the day of feasting on it comes, and the longing is satisfied.