How have you filled the “God Shaped Hole” in your heart?

You have a God Shaped Hole

Deep in our heart, we know there is something more. There is more to life than the visible material world around us, we are part of something bigger. If we are honest with ourselves and reflect, we each yearn to know the answers to three age old questions: Why are we here? How did we get here? And what happens when we die? This yearning for perspective on the bigger picture is by design. God put a “God shaped hole” deep in our heart.

“He has put eternity in their hearts…” Ecclesiastes 3:11

How you choose to fill that God shaped hole in your heart really matters, it matters now and will matter forever.

If you fill it with God, you will connect the dots and find your way into God’s design. If you fill it with something other than God, it will not work out so well for you as you experience the consequences of your choices, and get increasingly intense opportunities to correct your decision.

What you worship becomes your god. You worship something when you decide to devote resources to it: when you decide to spend time and energy on it, when you prioritize other things around it. How do you spend your time? Your money? Your mental focus? What are you “worshiping”? Work? Money? Your body? Your reputation? Pleasures – Sex, drugs, alcohol, food? Power – Position or control? Worshiping anything on this earth as your top priority will get you into trouble.

“Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands….Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.  Psalm 115: 4-8

Finding the right answers takes a bit of work but it is not hard. You must first decide that you really want to find the right answers.

“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

God will not force Himself or His answers upon you. In fact, He purposefully hides Himself. 

“Truly You are God, who hide Yourself.” Isaiah 45:15-19

He does this to protect and respect your free will. If the creator of the universe was standing right in front of you in all His glory, you would be so intimidated you would comply with His intentions. The way He has set up the world, you get to grow as you find your way, you get to make choices, and you get to learn from your mistakes. You build character, develop convictions, maturity, and wisdom. If you were merely intimidated into complying, you would not become the person God intended when He put you here, you would not be prepared for your role in the heavens for eternity.    

He has given you the clues you need to find Him.

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

“The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalm 19:1

He is knocking, all you need to do is answer.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20

He promises, if you do seek Him with all your heart, you will find him.

“But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29

If you pay attention, God never forces you, you must decide for yourself, take the initiative:  You must ask, and it will be given, you decide to seek and you will find, You ask and He answers. You draw near, and He draws near.

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8

You are called to love God with ALL your heart, mind and strength.

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:29-31

“All” is a lot. If you love God with ALL your heart, there is not much room for loving your “self”. In fact you are called to deny “yourself”.

“Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” Luke 9:23

If you get yourself out of the way, then everything can flow from Him and back to Him. Everything you do should connect to God as your top priority. You should be living your life FOR Him, living in a way worthy of what He has done for you, living a life serving His purpose, to give Him glory.

Fill the God shaped hole in your soul with God.  

Prayer:

Heavnely Father, thank you for putting me here in this place and at this time. 

Thank you for putting eternity in my heart,  you have put a “God shaed hole” in my soul. 

Please open the eyes of my understanding so I can see opportunities to do better.

Lord Jesus, I ask you to help me understand what I have filled that hole with?  What am I worshipping other than you?

Lord Jesus, Please reveal yourself to me in profound and meaningful ways so I can make your first in my life. 

I will be transformed as I focus on you, align averything else to serve you and your purpose, and push out everythign that is not compatible.   

I ask this to bring your glory.  In Jesus name, AMEN

 

How Are You Filling The God Shaped Hole In Your Soul?

Have you discovered the “God shaped hole” in your sole?

You may not realize it, but we are each connected to God deep in our soul; His Love is wired directly into a repository in our hearts. He plants that connection in us before we are born and it remains for eternity whether we notice it or not.
We can feel this connection resonate inside us as a warm feeling when we observe someone doing a selfless act; Like a fireman running into a burning building to save someone. We can feel it when we are deeply moved by a love story playing out in a movie or we hear a wonderful piece of music. We can feel it when we experience a sense of awe as we admire the milky way spread across a dark sky, or feel the tranquil beauty of a sunrise or sunset, or the calm and peaceful feeling as we watch a waterfall or the waves on the ocean or the flow of a babbling brook, or the ripples spreading on a quiet pond.
Many folks do not recognize this connection. The activities of daily life tend to keep our focus on other things, urgent things, earthly things – What do I need to do today? Where do I need to go? What do I need to wear? What am I going to eat? Who am I going to see?  What do they think of me? 

How do you choose to fill the God Shaped Hole?

The God Shaped Hole in your soul yearns to be filled. If you choose not to fill it with God, you will fill it with something else. Some folks completely emmerse themselves in work and try to seek fulfillment there. Some try to fill this hole with things; money, fancy cars, houses, collectibles, etc. Some folks try to filll it with hedonistic persuits…pleasure and excesses in this life. Some try to fill it through building personal power, using and abusing people for thier benefit. Some try to hide from it and excape it through alchohola and drugs. Many eventually come to realize none of these approaches can fill this God Shaped Hole. Sadly, they only figure it out after they have caused severe distress for themselves and those around them. This is recoverable if you discover it and change course in time, but the longer you wait the more of a mess you are making. The really big problem is if you never figure it out and change course; You are stuck with what ever you have put in your God shaped hole for eterntiy;  Eternity without God will not be pretty. You have free will to choose, but your choices have consequences.    
If you do not yet have God filling your God shaped hole, there is no time like the present. Some folks find it useful to acknowledge thier God Shaped Hole,  your connection to God.  Pause for a moment and push all of these earthly distractions aside. Take time to look outside of yourself, notice the beauty of world all around you: The sky, the landscape, the water, the plants, the animals, the people. Take a deep breath and reflect on it. Tune to the feelings deep in your heart. your inner most feelings. Let yourself be moved to a place of appreciation for the beauty that is all around you, and you will begin ot sense this connection.
Once you have found the connection, we can tune in to it. Find a quiet peaceful place, sit comfortably, close your eyes, quiet your conscious brain, allow yourself to drift to that place where you appreciated the beauty around you, reflect deeply in your heart. Ask why am I here? What is my purpose? You will sense that you are part of something bigger than yourself, You will find your heart longs to be closer to something outside of you, something transcendent. God has planted eternity in your heart; If you took this exercise seriously, you will have just found the God Shaped Hole in your soul.
Recognizing that you are connected to eternity can go a long way towards opening your mind to being willing to acknowledge and then explore the spiritual side of life and fill that God Shaped Hole in your soul with God.
Have a great day!
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Supporitng Scripture

You have a God shaped hole planted in you
“… He has put eternity in their hearts….” Ecclesiastes 3:11
You must take the inititvie in order to find him
“… seek, and you will find…” Matthew 7:7

God knows your heart, and you will eventually get what you deserve

“I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind,
Even to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the results of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10

You need to seek Him, find Him, and serve Him with all your heart….or there are consequences

“…know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9