Thursday, July 07, 2005

The Void

I recently had a friend come up to me and tell me that she had talked to a guy who had some spiritual questions for her to answer. It turns out that, out of all the questions that were asked of my friend during the three hours that they talked, the only thing that stumped her was when the person she was witnessing to said, "You know, I don't really feel like I have a hole in me. I don't feel the emptiness inside of me that people say they have when they come to Christ." This stumped my friend because normally, when someone is interested in hearing about Christ, it is because they feel the void in their heart where God is meant to live.

After some thinking and praying, I finally realized that there are three reasons why this guy feels the way he does. As someone who doesn't believe in Christ, his happiness is focused on things of this world, God may be waiting for the perfect time to reveal this void in him, and he might have been covering up what he really feels.

When someone is going through life and they are not a Christian, they focus all of their emotions on worldly things. All of their pleasure and happiness come from things of this world. If at the current time in their lives they are happy with the temporary things that this world offers, then they won't feel the void that God is meant to fill. We all know though that when we focus on what this world offers, we will always be disappointed. In Matthew 6:19-24, we read of two different types of lifestyles: We either store up our treasures on Earth, or in Heaven. Usually when we look at this passage, we concentrate on the parts that talk about storing our treasures up in Heaven, but let's look at what is said of those who store up their treasures on Earth.

This passage tells us that the things that we value here on Earth are able to be destroyed by moth and rust and stolen by thieves. It also tells us that "where [our] treasure is, there [our] heart will be also". It is apparent to see that this guy's heart (and the hearts of those who are not Christians) is focused on temporary Earthly things.

The passage continues on to tell us that our eyes are the "lamp of the body". It shows us that if our eyes are good, then our whole body will be full of light, but if our eyes are bad, then our body will be full of darkness. The last sentence in verse 23 says, "If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" To me, this passage states that if darkness is inside of us, how can we see the light that God offers to us?

Finally, this passage shows that "no one can serve two masters". We either hate the one and love the other, or we will be devoted to the one and despise the other. We cannot serve God and worldly things. Could it be that this guy is so focused on worldly things that he does not want to recognize the void inside of him?

Another reason may be that God is waiting for the perfect time to reveal the hole in his life that things of this world cannot fill. God's timing is perfect; He will reveal things to us when He knows we are ready. One thing that we must remember though is that we must seek God while we can (Isaiah 55:6).

I also believe that this guy may be hiding what he's actually feeling. As Christians, we know that we are to share our burdens with fellow Christians (Galatians 6:2), but those of this world will many times keep things hidden within themselves in order to seem "ok".

All in all, no matter what the case is, God has a plan for everyone. God is working on this guy by using my friend to witness to him. God will provide all of the answers in order to show this guy that he is in need of Him and in time, God's plan will unfold and we will all see how perfect it really is.

When it comes down to it, we all do have a "void" inside of us where only God can live. Things of this world will come and go, but God's love is ever lasting. Constantly remind yourself on a daily basis that you are promised your reward in Heaven. Allow God to thrive in you and make an effort to share His light with others. Once we understand the complexity and vastness of the hole that God fills, we will better appreciate the love He provides.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow...Collin, you are the coolest!! You're pretty smart too. Have an awesome day/night/week/month/yr/life!! Yay! Alright, I'm gonna stop rambling. Talk to ya later. :)

Anonymous said...

Well-said, COB. I was actually able to refer to your blog this evening during our Home Team study. A couple that was married before they were Christ-followers said they had a great marriage before and didn't feel a "void", but soon realized how much better their marriage has become since they allowed Christ to be at the center of it. I was able to refer to your comments on how they were filling that void with worldly things, but the void soon showed itself in some form. God is using you in mighty ways!! We love reading what you have to say! Keep it up...you've got an amazing gift, my friend!

Anonymous said...

Thats so awesome! I used those exact same verses this week when leading a devotion at camp. It's one of my favorite passages from the Bible. I really missed reading your posts while I was away lol.

Anonymous said...

Do U know Minnie Hart. It's neat to know that what you are writing is helping others in Bible studies and their spiritual life. I've given your site to friends more than once. I just sent it to my counsin in Ohio.