“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6). One of the quickest ways to build up an appetite is by exercising. If that works for physical hunger and thirst, why would it not also work for spiritual hunger and thirst. Many of us at one time or another have allowed our souls to become anemic through a lack of spiritual activity. We may vaguely wish that we had a better relationship with our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ, but we may also feel that we just don't feel that burning desire to do the right thing. If only we felt a true hunger, then we would obey God's commandments and honor our covenants with Him. But how are we going to work up that Spiritual hunger and thirst for righteousness if we don't first exercise our faith? Just like jogging or lifting weights, exercising our faith requires effort. If our spiritual muscles have become atrophied, then, in the beginning, exercising our faith will be really hard, just as it would be if we were just starting to work out after a long period of inactivity. But the more we exercise, the more we will hunger and thirst after righteousness, and then the more we will be filled. If at first we try to keep the commandments but our heart is not really in it, we just have to keep at it. Over time our faith exercises will feel less like a chore and a punishment and more like a blessing and a reward.
