Is it unchristian to feel an emptiness inside?
Many people experience feeling empty.
Should Christians feel empty? We delve into this subject which can often bring a lot of guilt.
How should a Christian cope with those feelings?
Many people in the world suffer from this feeling and Jack Nollan lists the many ways that are sought to fill that emptiness:
People choose to deal with that emptiness in different ways, many of them not healthy. We may try to fill that hole with sex, money, consumerism, video games, distractions, drugs, alcohol, and in more extreme cases – self-harm and even suicide. After all, the physical pain is at least a reminder we’re still alive, can still feel… something. Anything at all.”
’11 Reasons Why You Feel Empty Inside (+ What To Do About It)’ By Jack Nollan. 1
For Christians, many of the items on that list are no-go areas and create even more despair if they are used as an escape route.
Table of Contents:
1. Feeling empty as a Christian does happen.
Feeling empty is not a rare thing.
The cause of this can be due to the feeling of being ‘cut off from people, missing a sense of direction or feeling as though you don’t have a meaningful life. It may also manifest as a lack of fulfilment in your relationships or profession.’ 3
Whatever the cause, we must not put on an act and pretend that everything is wonderful!
Perhaps in that emptiness, God wants to speak to us, or He wants to humble us to make us more dependent on Him
A proud person may be put in an impossible situation where they become so desperate that they have to lower themselves to put the problem right.
Some Christians may feel empty because they do not allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives. When Jesus was speaking to his disciples he “ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ ” 4
Can God fill my emptiness?
2. Jairus, a proud man with status, yet feeling empty and desperate
Jairus was one of the synagogue rulers.
Many of these religious leaders would have been proud of their titles, their position in society, and proud of their religious knowledge.
But Jairus was willing to humble himself in front of this huge crowd by kneeling before Jesus.
Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there.
Mark 5:22-24 NIV
Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him,
‘My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.’
So Jesus went with him.”
Would he have done such a thing, unless he was desperate?
His daughter was dying!
He was feeling empty, and powerless and he had no answers.
He suddenly didn’t care about having a self-sufficient air about him.
Jairus was feeling desperate, he just didn’t mind what people would think of him.
He saw Jesus as having the power and compassion to help him.
I expect he was feeling empty and saw himself as being weak and inferior in this situation.
How do we view Jesus, are we feeling desperate enough to turn to him?
What about us? How do we view Jesus?
Do we see Him as being powerful and able?
How little a thing, or how big a thing, does it take to get us on our knees?
Jairus’ posture of kneeling at Jesus’ feet, is an excellent heart attitude for us to constantly be in. Jesus said:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3
The word ‘poor’ in this verse doesn’t mean, just short of money.
It’s a beggar crouching on a filthy pavement feeling empty.
So another translation could be;
Happy are those who are like a beggar in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3 Possible translation.
Being inwardly a spiritual beggar is realising that we rely on God’s generosity to give us things.
We’ve got empty hands and empty hearts unless God provides for us.
In this place, we realise that we are totally vulnerable and powerless without the Lord in our lives.
Jesus was saying that to have a beggar’s heart is the starting place for God to move in our lives.
Jairus begged. He was not ashamed to approach Jesus.
He gave Jesus honour and respect and he, an important ruler, lowered himself.
He even put his face to Jesus’ feet and pleaded for his daughter’s life.
Jesus accepted his plea, and they set off for Jairus’ home.
3. Being blessed by Jesus is the cure for feeling empty
Matthew Henry, (1662-1714), in his famous ‘Commentary on the Whole Bible’, has some interesting thoughts on the above Bible verse from Jesus’ sermon we know as The Beatitudes.
Jesus uses a lot of ‘Blessed are…’ so Matthew Henry comments:
Christ begins his sermon with blessings, for he came into the world to bless us (Acts 3:26*),
‘Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)’ by Matthew Henry 5
as the great High Priest of our profession; as the blessed Melchizedec; as He in whom all the families of the earth should be blessed, (Genesis 22:18**).
He came not only to purchase blessings for us, but to pour out and pronounce blessings on us;
and here he does it as one having authority, as one that can command the blessing, even life for evermore,
and that is the blessing here again and again promised to the good;
his pronouncing them happy makes them so; for those whom he blesses, are blessed indeed.
The Old Testament ended with a curse (Malachi 4:6***), the gospel begins with a blessing;
for hereunto are we called, that we should inherit the blessing.”
Matthew Henry quotes a verse above * and this is it:
When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
Acts 3:26 NIV
His second quote ** of the Lord speaking is here:
and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
Genesis 22:18 NIV
Matthew Henry’s third quote *** is here:
See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
Malachi 4:6 NIV
He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents;
or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
The word ‘blessed’ has been translated from the Hebrew word ‘μακάριος’ (makarios) which means ‘blessed – receiving God’s favour’ and is used 50 times within the New Testament.
How this word is used in the following verse is interesting:
And I heard a voice from heaven saying,
Revelation 14:13 ESV
‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.
‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’ ”
Naturally speaking, the dead are not ‘happy’, but Jesus did say to the thief next to him on the cross “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43).
How ‘happy’ do you think the thief is now, bowing down in adoration before the Father God’s eternal throne?
Has he just got a smile on his face or rather, is he ecstatic and cannot withhold his emotions?
I believe he is truly ‘blessed’ in paradise and do you know what the Hebrew word for paradise’ is?
‘παράδεισος (paradeisos) which means ‘paradise, a place of blessedness, from the base meaning of ‘garden’ ‘
Like a return to the perfect Garden of Eden, except it will be the new garden which is in the Eternal City of God:
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city;
Revelation 22:1-5 ESV
also, on either side of the river the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.
The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”
4. Feeling empty due to lusting after things.
King Solomon wrote about the potential emptiness of life and he was in the position of being so rich he could have whatever he wanted.
What he found was that even comedy, alcohol, architecture, gardening, leisure time, amassing wealth, increased sexual activities and seeking after power and influence did not give meaningful satisfaction:
I thought in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’ But that also proved to be meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 2:1–11 NIV
‘Laughter,’ I said, ‘is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?’
I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom.
I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.
I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house.
I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.
I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well—the delights of the heart of man.
I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
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.”
We all have appetites and desires for all sorts of things, and yet if we just continually lust after these things, they never will fulfil our longings:
All man’s efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.”
Ecclesiastes 6:7 NIV
The answer to this is to see that Jesus is our real treasure:
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Matthew 13:45-46 ESV
We need to invest our whole lives in the Kingdom of God and not have many things that hold our hearts.
The quote below shows Jesus saying “If your eye is healthy**” But the true meaning is ‘single’ ‘ἁπλοῦς’ (haplous).
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21-24 ESV
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy**, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.
If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and money.”
Where the biggest attraction is in our life, that is where our treasure is.
God wants that treasure to be Him and for our full attention to be upon His Kingdom. That is why Jesus speaks about our eyes being single because then our eyes are not darting around from one thing to another.
If our eye is single then that frees us to enjoy and appreciate all that the Lord provides for us.
God is our satisfaction.
The Lord, speaking through Isaiah, invites people to turn and listen to Him:
Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy?
Isaiah 55:2–3 NIV
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”
Jesus invites us to come to Him, to thirst for His Presence and to drink of his Holy Spirit:
Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.
John 4:13–14 NIV
Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
King David describes what being with God is like:
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
Psalm 23:5–6 NIV
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
The emptiness can be filled by being spiritually satisfied.
That worldly appetite can never be quenched. Jesus said:
I am the bread of life.
John 6:35–40 NIV
He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
5. Feeling empty due to not being filled with the Holy Spirit.
However tough the situation, when everything is stripped away, a Christian should be able to call out ‘Father!’
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry ‘Abba! Father!’
Romans 8:15-17 ESV
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
Emptiness is a lack of spiritual power. I don’t mean we should go around raising the dead and casting out demons.
A lack of power in the things we do.
I think we all know when our actions feel empty, powerless and lack a touch of heaven.
In the Book of Acts, we see the Holy Spirit, not only coming on the Day of Pentecost but several times after that.
The reason was that the disciples needed to be filled with power from heaven.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 ESV
The apostle Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus to be strengthened with power and he tells us what the emptiness can be filled with:
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Ephesians 3:16–19 NIV
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
How do we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?
Do you feel trapped in your life and do you want to break free?
How does Jesus see us, will he say “Well done“?
What to do when you feel spiritually empty?
1. Try to stop all the noise and distractions.
2. Spend some time in a garden, a park, by a river, or woodland.
3. Read, or listen to the Bible.
4, Attend a good, genuine, encouraging church – one that is not ‘Over The Top’ and where people cannot be sad or thoughtful.
5. Listen to a good Christian Radio Station which has some reflective music. A good example is UCB.
6. Share how you feel with a reliable friend.
What are the signs of spiritual emptiness?
1. Thoughts that do not consider God.
2. Not reading the Bible
3. Avoiding deep conversations with other Christians.
4. Not attending Christian groups and services.
5. A heart that is not thankful.
6. No desire to worship or pray.
Is our conscience like having God sitting on our shoulders and whispering in our ears?
God had promised David in the Bible that he was going to be king, but there was a big problem; Saul was an evil king and David still followed his own conscience.
Jesus didn’t point the finger, so does he condemn divorcees now, I don’t think so.
A lady with a bad health problem reaches out to Jesus…
We may know that God cares for his own, but he reaches out to others also.
Jesus calls death ‘sleep’ and people laughed at him.
References and credits – open in new tabs:
Rich man image: thanks to ‘The Pictorial Dictionary’ published by The Educational Book Company, London.
’11 Reasons Why You Feel Empty Inside (+ What To Do About It)’ By Jack Nollan. A Conscious Rethink 17 May 2023 ↩
‘Feeling Empty: Strategies To Help Reclaim A Full Life’ Better Help 11 December 2023 ↩
Acts 1:4-5 ESV ↩