The “God-Shaped Hole” 

            Does everyone have a God-Shaped Hole inside them? This theory states that each person throughout creation has a void in their soul, spirit and life that can only be filled by one thing and that one thing is God. Yes, God - that unprovable deified entity that millions of people around the globe recognize as supreme over all life forms. This whole idea suggests that we all have an innate longing for something outside ourselves. Something or someone greater than ourselves. 

                  God created man for His own eternal purpose, and it is only God who can fulfill this desire to connect with Him. Isn’t all religion really just our effort to connect with our maker? So therein lies the theory of the “God-Shaped Hole”.

                  The problem arises when man seeks to take on this challenge by themselves, ignoring the “Hole” altogether or attempting to fill that hole with all sorts of things instead of God. The prophet Jeremiah (17:9) describes the condition of a man’s heart by stating: “The heart is deceitful above all thing & beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Solomon repeats the same thought in Ecclesiastes 9:3: “The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live....” The New Testament agrees: “The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” (Romans 8:7) Romans 1:18-22 describes humanity ignoring what can be known about God, including presumably the “God-Shaped Hole”, instead giving worship to anything and everything other than God.

                  It is a sad thing to see when people spend their lives looking for something or someone to fill their search for meaning other than God. Those who pursue ungodly things that have no eternal value leave them unfulfilled as they wonder why they never seem satisfied with their life. Don’t misunderstand me, there is a sense of fulfillment initially, but it fades with time. Happiness without God at the helm of your life is fleeting; in the profound words of Solomon, it is a “chasing after the wind”. Whatever man tries to accomplish outside of God will ultimately fail to bring lasting satisfaction. Ecclesiastes 12:13 concludes the matter according to Solomon: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole (duty) of man.”

                  Just like a square peg can never fill a round hole, neither can the “God-Shaped Hole” inside each of us be filled with anything or anyone other than Almighty God. It is only thru a personal, intimate relationship with our maker thru faith in Jesus Christ can the “God-Shaped Hole” be filled satisfactorily and our desire for eternity be fulfilled. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.gotquestions.org