You Have a God-Shaped Void in Your Heart That Only He Can Fill
Men, your validation can never come from a woman. Women, your validation can never come from a man. The God-shaped void you have cannot be filled with your success, money, status, possessions, family, friends or even your ministry.
All these are fine and good things and even worthy and desirous things. But, if you look to man made things for your worth, you will be lead only to disappointment.
The Bible calls elevating such things on the throne of your heart idols. Throughout the Scriptures, God asks His people to put Him first in the priority of their hearts. "You shall have no other gods before me” - Exodus 20:3Only something’s’ maker can know how that thing works. As God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” Jeremiah 1:5Only God can show you your true worth. If you believe your worth is tied to anything but God, then those things will take God’s place in your life. And since man is made to worship, you will worship that which has the highest place in your heart. This is idolatry.
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Tim Keller says in his book, Counterfeit Gods, “Idolatry is the sin behind the sin.” Search your heart today. Are you struggling with lust? Look deeper. In your heart of hearts, do you not want sexual pleasure more than you want God? Are you struggling with pride? Deep down you not want to get more glory and popularity than God? Do you struggle with finances? Look deeper. Do you not have a belief system that says material wealth will give you the true satisfaction that only our Heavenly Father can?
So, if we can never find true life in idols, what does God say about who we are?
Most importantly, because of Jesus’ shed blood on the cross and the work of God in His resurrection, we are no longer slaves to sin but are now children of God and co-heirs with Christ.
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” - John 1:12
“Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." - Romans 8:17
Now this is beyond comprehension. A co-heir is a legal term meaning that we have legal rights to all that Christ is given. Ephesians 1:3 says, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ."We could write of what we have received in Christ for the rest of our lives. We have been doing so for two millennia and the ink has not run dry. One gift we must understand in order to live in freedom is grace. Grace is the power of God. It is his Unmerited Favor. As we repent of our idols, as we surrender our lives to Him daily, His Holy Spirit will fill our hearts to overflowing And, as we learn to lean on His Strength and not our own, we will be able to find the abundant life that we have always longed for that only He can give.
As long as you look to this world to validate you, there will be an emptiness in your heart. There is a God shaped void in all our hearts, and only He can fill it.
As we start this week, we must tear down the idols in our lives. Repent of our wandering hearts. Surrender to His Will for our day, our week, our year, and our lives and ask for Him to give the strength to love Him first. Then we will know who we truly are. Begin allowing God to fill that God shaped void within your heart today!