The Peculiar Reason Life Feels Empty When It’s Full
- Becky Weber Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- Updated Jul 25, 2023
My life has not been perfect, but I have definitely been blessed. I have a wonderful husband and four great kids. I’ve been able to stay at home with my kids and be present when they are at home. We all have been relatively healthy, I have good friends, and I now have the opportunity to pursue some things that I am passionate about. I feel like my life is at a great place right now, and I don’t think there is much I would want to change.
I am blessed with all these things in my life, yet it can still feel like something is missing. From the outside, you would think that I would be so happy and content. If people were to see what is really going on inside of me, they would see that there is a temporary feeling of satisfaction, but soon it wears off. It’s like there is a hole in my soul that is only meant to be filled by one individual, and that is God.
Why Can Life Feel Empty?
Our lives can start to feel empty when we try to find what we can only get from God, instead of the things of this world. We can be tempted by all the flashy and pretty things that our society tries to make us believe will fill our souls. It can be anything from the latest beauty product that will make us look ten years younger, having the newest model of a certain car, making more money, or even that certain person who we think will meet every need that we have. It may work in the short term, but after a bit, the newness and excitement start to wear off. The satisfaction does not last long, and we are right back where we started again. Looking for that certain thing that will fill us again, and we can repeat it over and over many times, fooling ourselves that the next thing surely should make a difference. Then it doesn’t, and we are left unsatisfied with the same hole that was in our soul before.
We don’t need to look hard to find an example of this in the Bible. King Solomon was one of the wealthiest and most well-known kings that we read about in the Old Testament. He started out well, asking the Lord for wisdom and even being known for finishing the temple. As we continued learning about him, things eventually went downhill for him. He accumulated a lot of wealth, which never was enough. He did get married, but that also was out of control; he ended up having 700 wives and 300 concubines. His wives lead him away from God, and he ended up worshipping idols. He had all of this, and yet it was not enough. The book of Ecclesiastes shows some of his thoughts on the matter. In Chapter 2:11, Solomon says:
“Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”
He did not deny himself anything and still felt empty. His life is the perfect example of this. We will never be satisfied totally with what this world gives us.
What Are We Meant For?
We were made to have a relationship with God. Our complete purpose will only come from him. The hole in our souls will only be filled by him. Everything that we do in this life and all that we acquire comes from him. He will never let us get complete satisfaction from the things that he gives us. We are meant to walk with him every day, and do life with him.
Another purpose we have on this earth is to glorify our creator and point others toward him. We were made in his image, and we are meant to reflect him. That is such a high calling, whether we realize it or not. We get the honor of pointing people to Jesus. It might not be done perfectly, but that is when we need to rely on him to help us live it out.
I’ve been the person who has been at both ends of this. I’ve been the one who thought I would be happy if I got a certain title or accumulated all the things that I wanted. Not that all of those things are bad, but that is not what I was meant for. I am to reflect my creator to those around me. To my surprise, this has given me more purpose than anything else. I want to choose to live for Jesus each day of my life.
What Can We Do When Life Feels Empty?
At some point, even if things are going well for us, it will feel like something is still missing. It is so easy for us as humans to try and find satisfaction in the things of this world. We search and we search, forgetting the one who has given us everything, we are mistakenly trying to get our satisfaction from. So what do we do when life does start to feel empty?
Ultimately, we need to change our perspective. We can ask the Lord to remind us of how much he alone satisfies us, and of how much we need him. He wants us to enjoy the blessings and the gifts he gives us, but again we need to remember that they are things that were never meant to fulfill us.
To keep the right mindset, we can learn to have the Lord as our primary motivation for living our lives. While we are working, we can do it for the Lord; if we are taking care of our kids, we can ask him to give us energy, or if we are enjoying something we have been blessed with, we can thank the Lord for it. It is all about keeping our focus on God so we remember where our purpose and worth come from.
The benefit of learning to live out of the worth I have in Jesus is that I grow in my relationship with him. With him as my focus, I tend to keep him involved in my daily life. As I experience life with him, I also experience his goodness, kindness, and faithfulness. He is always with me, no matter if I acknowledge him or not. As long as I stay focused on him, my life does not feel empty. It feels full.
I would encourage each one of you to really take a look at your lives, and ask the Lord to point out areas you are trying to find your worth and identity in other than in him. The gifts and things that he gives us in this life are not bad things, but it becomes harmful when we use them for their unintended purposes. It will take self-awareness and the ability to admit when we are wrong. I have lived my life both ways, and I know what the better choice is. Choose to get your worth, identity, and purpose from Jesus. This is what we are created for. Once we realize this, our lives will feel more full.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Martin Dimitrov
