Sometimes when you experience a loss, difficulty, pain, hardship, or struggle of any kind, a hole or void develops inside. You crave to fill the void with anything that feels good or makes it feel better or less painful. That might be anything from food, drugs, social media, hobbies, work, shopping or even people. For me personally, I have been through a lot of trauma and loss in my life. Each painful circumstance that has happened has created a sense of worthlessness, insecurity, feeling unlovable, not good enough, too much, fearful, anxious, and the list goes on and on. Those feelings create this hole inside that is longing to be filled up.
In my case, I usually look to food or people for comfort. I look to people to build me up and try to help me undo the damage that has been done for years, to show me that I’m worthy, to love on me, to ease my fears, to physically love on me with hugs, and to
fill my head with words like they are proud of me. When I don’t get those things or get enough of those things or when the enemy is able to get me to fail to believe they are true, I get depressed and comfort myself and try to fill my own void with food.
Friends, I’m slowly beginning to learn that none of us were meant to live this way. None of us are able to fill the void in our lives. While God doesn't remove the void, He does fill it.
He fills the void with a purpose: to live for the glory of God who died for you. In 2 Corinthians 5:15, it says, “He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” The void cannot be filled by external sources but must be filled from within. The only way for us to fill the void in our lives is to come to know our Heavenly Father and His love for each one of us. That means to love Him enough that we want to do
His will. Only God can fill the emptiness of the soul. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Psalms 42:1
I was reminded yesterday of the story of the woman at the well. She went to the well to get her physical needs met, but it was never enough. Every day, she returned for more. Instead of a drink of water that she came for that day, He offered her living water that would satisfy her so deeply she’d never thirst again. She drank deeply of His love and was filled to overflowing, and we can be too.
Just like the woman at the well, God put a desire in our hearts that was intended to lead us back to Him. Only His unconditional acceptance, approval, and affirmation can fill the empty places in our hearts and the deepest thirst of our souls. Until God's love and acceptance is enough, nothing else will be!
I know that place of needing Jesus to look into my heart and show me the emptiness only He can fill. Like the woman at the well, I've depended on other means to get my needs met. Yet when I look to them, instead of Him, they are never enough. I've looked to people: family and friends, bosses, teachers and mentors, my kids. I've longed for their approval and the affirmation that comes with it.
I've also looked to possessions and positions and accidentally put my hope in recognition. I've thought that if only I had or could ... then I'd be fulfilled. But no matter how much I do or get, it's never enough to fill me up. And, it's not supposed to be!! Why?
Because the empty places in our hearts were created to be filled by God alone. The deepest thirst of our souls can only be quenched by Him.
Let the words of Romans 15:13 wash over you today: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ❤