A black hole. This was a term that has always puzzled me. They say it is a “hole in the cosmos”, but how can a cosmos have a hole in it? As it turns out, the gravitational pull in a black hole is so great that not even light escapes its pull. The black hole sucks everything in its vicinity into itself. In fact, it’s like it is trying to fill its hole with anything at hand.

Unfortunately, it isn’t very successful.

When my kids were younger, the theme song of their favourite Christian singer, the Doughnut Man, went something like this: “Life without Jesus is like a Doughnut, there’s a hole in the middle of your heart.” As I have grown in my Christian walk over the past years, I have come to realize how true this is. I’ve also come to realize just how much this particular “heart hole” is like the cosmos black hole!

You see, the human need to fill this hole in their heart creates a kind of vacuum too! It sucks in everything in its vicinity!

For some, it is work. As long as they are working, it seems that the pull of the hole diminishes. But on holidays and weekends, or even worse, following retirement, when there isn’t any work around to fill their holes, they become restless. They can’t relax. They can’t enjoy their free time.

Others try to fill their hole with elicit affairs. Satisfaction however, is temporary. Just like a bee jumping from one flower to another in order to extract pollen, they jump from one woman or man to another in their ruthless pursuit to fill the hole. A recent study performed by the US government revealed that the average number of female sexual partners for men is seven, while the average number of male sexual partners for women is four! I personally know several people in this category. They never seem to be completely satisfied with the person they are with, for they are constantly looking for greener pastures.

Still others try to fill the void with drugs like cocaine, heroine, alcohol, etc. Unfortunately, this isn’t a permanent solution either. The highs they obtain don’t last, and they desperately search for new highs as they wander through their lives of self-destruction.

There are many other common ways that people try to fill this void. Some use food, others gamble, some even try to fill the void with religious activities. None of these provide satisfactory results however, for each of these things just leave you wanting more and more.

The solution to this dilemma lies in the Doughnut Man’s song: “Life without Jesus is like a doughnut, there’s a hole n the middle of your heart. But when Jesus fills your heart, He satisfies your soul, like a pastry doughnut in a doughnut hole!” That “hole” is God-sized, friend! The only way for it to be filled is by filling it with Jesus Himself! By developing a personal, intimate relationship with Him! Only when He becomes our reality will we feel satisfied, fulfilled, full! He is the reason for our being! He is our purpose!

“For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels – everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” (Col 1:16-17 The Message)

Whenever we find ourselves lured by the illicit distractions of life, if we take the time to reflect, we will discover that our time with God has decreased and He is no longer in the center of our void. As a result, we are drawn, once again, to trying to fill the void with illicit substitutes.

“Your fellowship with God enables you to gain a victory over the Evil One. Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world – wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important – has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out – but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.” (1 John 2:14-17 The Message)

The only way to avoid giving into temptation is to let God fill our void and enjoy our ride with Him at the helm. Life can either be an exciting adventure with God, or it can be an illusionary pursuit of happiness beyond our grasp. Simply put, life can be summarized like that:

Trying to fill the void with illicit attractions of life: Unsatisfaction + Defeat

Filling the void with an intimate relationship with God: Victory + Real Purpose

“The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit – God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah’s question, “Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?” Has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit.” (1 Cor 2:14-16 The Message)

How is your doughnut?

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “Filling the Void” devotional series, please click here.)