Question 1

Why does life sometimes seem so empty?

Accepted Answer

1 Samuel 12:21Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless!Proverbs 22:8Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end.Hosea 4:10They [sinful people] will eat and still be hungry. They will play the prostitute and gain nothing from it, for they have deserted the LordMicah 6:13-14“I will wound you! I will bring you to ruin for all your sins. You will eat but never have enough. Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain. And though you try to save your money, it will come to nothing in the end. You will save a little, but I will give it to those who conquer you.”One of sin’s great deceptions is that just a little more will satisfy us, but it never will. It grows our hunger and shrinks our fulfillment.Judges 10:14Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen! Let them rescue you in your hour of distress!Isaiah 41:27-29“I [the Lord] was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look! Help is on the way!’ I will send Jerusalem a messenger with good news. Not one of your idols told you this. Not one gave any answer when I asked. See, they are all foolish, worthless things. All your idols are as empty as the wind.”Isaiah 44:17-18He [the blacksmith] takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. “Rescue me!” he says. “You are my god!” Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.Isaiah 46:7“Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it! They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can’t even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can’t rescue anyone from trouble.”Jeremiah 10:3, 14“Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.” . . . The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power.Romans 1:23Instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.Feelings of emptiness come when we have neglected to let God’s presence fill us. This happens when something else becomes more important than him. God created us to have a relationship with him. When we push the Creator into a corner of our hearts or push him out entirely, we leave a gaping hole. A heart without God is an empty heart.Psalm 39:6We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.Haggai 1:5-6, 9“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes! . . . You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.”Feelings of emptiness come from confusing accomplishment with purpose. We may do a lot and accomplish much, but after a while it all feels hollow and meaningless if no eternal purpose is behind it.1 Corinthians 13:3If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.Feelings of emptiness come from living without loving. Nothing feels emptier than life without love.Proverbs 11:7When the wicked die, their hopes die with them, for they rely on their own feeble strength.Feelings of emptiness come from thinking that we don’t need others and can rely on our own strength to make it. When our strength fades, we may feel like we have nothing left.Proverbs 21:17Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich.Proverbs 27:20Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.Ecclesiastes 2:1-3, 25I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world. . . . For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him?Feelings of emptiness come when seeking pleasure is our top priority. Pleasure feels good, but for only a short time. The more we seek pleasure, the more frequently we need it to satisfy. The satisfaction is short lived until we need our next fix of it. Then we are caught in a meaningless cycle.Ecclesiastes 4:16Endless crowds stand around him [the foolish king], but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.Feelings of emptiness come from seeking popularity. People are fickle and the praises of today can turn into the mocking of tomorrow.Job 15:31Let them no longer fool themselves by trusting in empty riches, for emptiness will be their only reward.Proverbs 23:4Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit.Ecclesiastes 5:10Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!Luke 12:15He [Jesus] said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”1 Timothy 6:9-10People who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.Feelings of emptiness can come from chasing money. Wealth is uncertain. It doesn’t bring lasting joy, it’s easily lost, and you can’t take it with you into eternity.Job 8:13-15The same happens to all who forget God. The hopes of the godless evaporate. Their confidence hangs by a thread. They are leaning on a spider’s web. They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last. They try to hold it tight, but it will not endure.Psalm 49:16-17Don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid. For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.Proverbs 11:4Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death.Ecclesiastes 5:15We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.Ecclesiastes 6:9Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.1 Timothy 6:7We brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.Feelings of emptiness can come from seeking material possessions because we realize they don’t really satisfy like we thought.Ecclesiastes 4:7-8I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.Ecclesiastes 6:7All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough.Psalm 127:1-2Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.Feelings of emptiness can come from seeking our main satisfaction from work. Work can satisfy and fulfill for a time, but even rewarding work cannot ultimately satisfy. Someday our work will come to and end, or it might be taken away from us for various reasons. We need to find our satisfaction in something deeper than our work so that when it’s gone, we won’t find ourselves in despair.

Question 2

How do I fill the emptiness inside of me?

Accepted Answer

Isaiah 45:18The Lord is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. “I am the Lord,” he says, “and there is no other.”1 Corinthians 6:19-20Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.Philippians 2:13God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.1 John 5:11-12This is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.Revelation 3:20“Look! I [Jesus] stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”God created us to function best when we are filled with his Spirit. Only God can fill the emptiness inside us because he created us with a longing for him. When we invite him into our lives, we will find true satisfaction and fulfillment.Ephesians 3:19May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.Titus 3:4-7When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.When you accept God’s gift of salvation and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit. The presence of God goes with us, along with his love, help, encouragement, peace, and comfort. If we are not filled with God’s Holy Spirit, our hearts are like empty houses, waiting to be occupied by someone else. Don’t let your empty heart be invaded by evil desires, rather, welcome God into your life and experience the fullness and power and love that comes from knowing and living with him.John 1:16From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.John 4:13-14Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”John 10:10The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.Christ’s salvation is like cool water on a parched tongue. But it’s not a temporary relief—it’s an everlasting joy.Colossians 2:9-10In Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.1 Peter 1:18You know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.We experience life to the fullest when we are engaged in a relationship with Jesus Christ. He paid a price far greater than any earthly wealth so we could spend eternity with him.

Question 3

Where can I find real meaning and purpose in life?

Accepted Answer

Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.1 Peter 2:2-3Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.We find meaning and purpose in life as we grow in our relationship with Jesus. The Christian life doesn’t end with salvation—it begins with it. Secure in our salvation, we can delight in our new purpose: becoming more like our Savior.John 6:27“Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”John 14:6Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”Ephesians 2:10We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.We find meaning, purpose, and hope as we choose to follow God’s way on earth.Ecclesiastes 9:9Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.John 13:34“I [Jesus] am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”Galatians 6:10Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.Hebrews 10:24-25Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.We find meaning and purpose as we enjoy the relationships God has placed in our lives.Psalm 57:2I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.1 Corinthians 15:58My dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.2 Timothy 2:21If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.God made each person for a purpose, and the work he does in and through us is never wasted..Philippians 4:12-14I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.We can find meaning and purpose in life as we rely on Christ’s strength in every situation.

Question 4

What does the fact that Christ emptied himself mean?

Accepted Answer

2 Corinthians 8:9You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.Philippians 2:7Instead, he [Jesus] gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.Jesus left his glorified position in heaven to come to earth as a human baby. He lived as a humble man and died a criminal’s death. He emptied himself of all his divine privileges so that he could identify with us and our struggles. Finally, he died for our sins and rose again so we could have a relationship with God and spend eternity with him.

Emptiness