Whether we are aware of it or not there is a huge hole inside of each of us that we are constantly trying to fill, often without success. This hole has a major influence on the way we live our lives. Our problem is we try to fill this hole with the wrong things. We think that possessions and work and popularity will take away our inner ache and satisfy our longing for happiness. The truth is they don’t. Accumulation, achievement and human approval cannot fill our empty hole. To believe otherwise is an illusion and a false philosophy. We human beings have a terrible habit of looking for happiness in the wrong places.
The hole inside of us can only be filled by love. It is the experience of unconditional love that takes away our inner restlessness. This is why God is the only one who can fill our empty hole. Only God is unconditional love. God loves without requirements and without restrictions. To let ourselves be loved as we are by God is the only way to satisfy the yearning in our hearts.
To let myself be loved unconditionally by God is to know that I am enough. When I am able to say, “I am enough” I am able to say, “I have enough.” If I am not able to say, “I am enough” I will continue to want more. I will want more and more possessions, information, success, recognition, approval, power. To be able to say, “I have enough” is a sign that I am filling my inner hole with the right kind of love.
Of course the culture we live in today does not make it easy for us to say, “I have enough.” Our culture is driven by capitalist and consumerist philosophies; by making money and spending money. It is notable how often we are referred to in the media as consumers. Our culture is also driven by a work ethic that has us measure our worth by what we do, by our achievements and successes. Then there is the impact of social media sites like Facebook that feed our desire for attention and the approval of others. There are powerful forces at work in our lives that want us to fill the hole we have inside with the wrong things. It takes a lot of self-awareness to recognise these forces and much courage to say ‘no’ to them.
There are two ways to fill the hole we have inside. One works, the other doesn’t. The decision is ours to make!