You know the feeling. You’re restless and anxious. You may be fidgety, uncomfortable in your own skin. Maybe you blame it on cabin fever, “I just need to get out.” Or maybe you blame it on the stress of your job, your family, your bills. Either way, you need to do something.
It’s at this point we face a critical decision. Do we turn to God as our strength? Or do we turn to something else to fill this hole?
You see it in other people too. The overbearing Little League parent. The workaholic. The person that always seems to be on edge. The addict.
What we all have in common is the need to be filled. We think pleasure will fill us, but that never seems to satisfy. We think companionship will fill us, but people will always let us down. We think accomplishments will fill us, but those never last.
For me lately, I turn to my comfort food and an opportunity to check-out. Give me a dozen wings and a big screen and don’t bother me for a couple of hours. I’ll fill my stomach and I’ll fill my mind, but that hole still remains.
That’s because this hole isn’t in my mind or my body, but is in my soul. This “God-shaped hole” can only be filled with a deep, meaningful, purposeful relationship with our Creator. Prayer, studying the Word, seeking out His will by serving others, doing what is right. These are the things that fill this hole. But we use that up. Like a gas tank on a long journey, we need to keep stopping to fill ourselves up.
It’s a long journey, this life. Don’t try to travel on an empty tank.
(This post is part of Bridget Chumbley’s Blog Carnival. This week’s topic is emptiness.)