What Causes Spiritual Malnourishment?

In the natural, it is understood that lack of appetite followed by a insufficient diet results in malnourishment. A decrease in desire/graving for food result is decreased consumption of food resulting in a deficiency of necessary nutrients and minerals conducive to good health. So having an appetite is the involuntary function of a part of the brain called hypothalamus that links with the nervous system that initiates cravings for food which is essential for regulatory dieting. So you can't regulate consumption until you have an appetite.
Now, spiritually speaking, this function applies as well. We have been learning on Thursday nights that living in the Spirit(Christ) requires total submission to Him and His lordship. After all, we cant produce righteousness by our own nature for it is by Christ alone that we fulfill righteousness. Christ by the Holy Spirit transforms our perception and perspectives thus changing our nature so that we become as Christ Himself. Since this is not conceived in the natural, we must receive Christ in faith, faith that defies logic and overrides reason. Our nature will contest our faith thus we have a role in this:

Praying, studying God's Word, and meditating results in....
Growing in faith from aligning your mind, will, and emotions to God's Spiritual law which results in....
Becoming like Christ as a vessel his Spirit resides in and governs the faculties of the mind and spirit resulting in......
Changing the world as Christ did, cause it is Him (refer to John 14:12).

Neglecting to follow these instructions results in spiritual malnourishment. Paul said we thwart temptations by living in the Spirit. So we have an understanding. We have a blue-print for a divine nature that literally enables us to live not only as Christ, but Christ through us by His Holy Spirit, unimpeded. In our painstaking quest to defeat apathy and spiritual indifference, we have to ask, if we know what we're suppose to be doing to make way for such a divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) led by the Spirit, why are we not fulfilling it?

Jesus answers that:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled"(Matt 5:6).

God give us a insatiable hunger to be like Jesus so that we would, out of urgency neglect those affairs we can do without to make way for the affairs we cant.