A God Shaped Hole

Valentine's day is upon us. Everywhere you go you see in stores heart-shaped balloons and decorations hanging from the ceiling. Boxes of candy shaped like hearts are on the shelves and valentine cards dominate the greeting card racks.

Looking at all the things shaped like hearts, I'm reminded of our own hearts. Our hearts guide us in many ways though life, sometimes down right paths, sometimes down wrong paths. Many of us think more with our hearts than with our brains.

When I watch tv shows like Cops and shows on Discovery ID, I can't help but feel many of those that are arrested for a crime they committed may have a heart problem. They try different things, letting drugs or alcohol guide their actions, sometimes with devastating consequences.

Drugs and alcohol are used for “quick fixes”. Some offenders have been doing drugs for a long time and it shows on their faces. Some are only experimenting and are slowly becoming dependent on various kinds of drugs. If these people are asked why they do this to their bodies, knowing they are slowly destroying themselves, they sometimes answer, “I need them.” I don't believe they need them as much as they want them. They want something to fill the hole they feel in their heart and drugs are readily available.

Alcoholics say the same thing. “I need to drink.” They don't need to drink, they want to drink. They also have a hole in their hearts and are searching for something to fill it.

Drugs and alcohol will make you feel good for a while. Then that gnawing feeling comes back. That felling that there's a hole and it has to be filled with something. They reach for the most readily available thing.

I've learned that that we all have a big hole in our hearts. Illegal substances and alcohol are very popular choices. They have the power to make us happy for a short time. But when the high wears off, we're back where we started.

That big hole in our hearts can only be filled by one thing. Jesus Christ. Trying to fit anything else in that hole is like trying to put a square peg in a round hole. With some effort you can get it in the hole, but it doesn't fit very well. There's gaping holes. God on the other hand fits into that hole like a glove on a hand. Every corner, every side is perfectly fitted. And instead of being happy with temporary fixes, once Jesus is perfectly in place in your heart, you experience the Joy that only Christ can bring. And it's not temporary. It's permanent!

If you feel a cavity in your heart, don't try quick, temporary fixes. Turn to Christ and watch how easily and perfectly He fits into that hole.