When I think of filling an empty space, the first thing that comes to mind is a turkey. For an authentic Thanksgiving meal, the turkey must be filled with stuffing. Yum. But necessary? Just as we need to fill our empty souls with stuff—a type of stuffing? Something to think about.
Eternal Perspectives by Sally Bair
Empty Spaces
In the never-ending task of trying to pare down on my “stuff,” I find that once a shelf or area becomes empty, I fill it with something new. It’s easy to want the newest appliance, a new vehicle, the newest technology, or a whole lot more. Wanting to have more and more can become an obsession.
We all tend to fill our hungry spots—our empty spaces—with something. Our souls can seem empty if we have felt unloved, if we’ve been abused, or perhaps if we’ve lost a loved one. Regardless of the reason, we can easily try to fill that empty spot with a variety of alternatives, including overeating.
Food will sustain our bodies for certain hours but will not satisfy us completely. Like anything else, overeating will not fill the empty spaces in our souls.
The Bible tells us Jesus is called the Bread of Life. When we choose to follow and trust Him with every part of our lives, He will be our sustenance and will fill our empty spaces.
Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) Just as we must eat regular meals daily to maintain good health, we also need to take in the fullness of God’s Word each day. If we don’t, we’ll soon find something else to fill our empty spaces. One missed banquet of His Word can quickly lead to substituting it with overeating or devouring unhealthy foods, all things that don’t satisfy.
It’s taken me many years, but I’m finally getting it. Yet even now, I struggle to keep focused on the good, nourishing Word rather than the food in my kitchen. For some people, empty calories come in the form of alcohol, drugs, or pornography. Even book learning, hobbies, and acceptance by others can become the wrong food if we indulge too much in them. It’s easy to displace God’s Word for something else not so filling.
A writer years ago vowed to begin each day by meditating on the Word of God. His motto was “No Bible, no breakfast.” Perhaps we should all follow that motto, vowing to spend the beginning of each day filling our souls with God’s truth. Such a daily habit has been proven to bring joy and peace, as well as strength to avoid filling our empty spaces with unhealthy pursuits.
Lord, we confess that we often try to fill our time and energy with worthless pursuits. We commit to “eat” your Word every day so there will be no need for us to look elsewhere for soul-nourishment. In the name of Jesus, our Bread of Life. Amen.
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