A person who has achieved a high level of success has often done just a little more than others. Even without increasing their effort, they will still progress further. I realized that hunger for personal transformation is low in many people. They listen to those who have succeeded in business, ministry, or education, to tell them the same thing.
While pondering this by the Spirit of God, He brought a scripture to my mind. God showed me 1 Peter 2:2, which says, "as newborn babies, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:". Then He revealed something important: it's not the milk itself that makes you grow. All along, I had been explaining that the sincere milk of the Word causes growth, but it's not the milk of the Word that necessarily leads to growth. That's not what the scripture says.
The scripture said, desire the sincere milk. In fact, if you removed the sincere milk from there and left it as desire, you would still do justice to that scripture: "Desire, that ye may grow thereby".
In other words, what you are not hungry for, even if it is given to you, is useless. You will not appreciate it. That is the reason it's not those to whom knowledge or opportunity is given that grow—it's those who are hungry that grow. The Bible says, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6) — it is hunger and desire that bring growth and fulfilment.
It's the same message in every area of life. How come everybody is not growing? Some people don't care. They don't care about personal growth. That's not what they are looking for. So it's not opportunities, skills, or information alone that make you grow. The same knowledge can be given to everybody, and it will not make a difference in their lives.
What did Jesus say? He said, "They that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6 SBA). He didn't say those who get righteousness, or those who receive the Word, will be filled. He didn't say those who taste or have knowledge will be fed. No. He said hunger and desire bring growth and fulfilment. Desire is what drives real growth.
Growth does not come to those who are satisfied or don't care. It comes to those who are truly hungry and want change. Just as the psalmist said, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after thee, O God" (Psalm 42:1). Desire to grow in God, in His Word, in knowledge, and in good habits—learn, improve yourself, and build your character—because these guide you to real progress. What you long for with all your heart shapes the direction of your life—so cultivate a hunger for growth, and let that desire guide every step you take.