Holes no Shovel Can Fill
Have you ever just people watched for a while? Maybe at the mall or the beach or waiting for your friend to come out of the bathroom... we all do it. My favorite place to do it is at the mall, because everyone shops. You have the old people that go to the department stores, and the young people that just want to play on the "playground" thing in the middle, and then you have people in between. The teens, young adults, and old adults. The middle rangers.
I'm not going to lie, it's super easy to judge these type of people. Because at least with the kids you can say "Oh, they're just babies. They don't know any better." Or with the old people, you can call them senile and dismiss every time they do something silly.
But the normal people in between... we have no excuses. We are easy to judge because for the most part, we're supposed to be responsible for our own actions. And when I see the easiest people to judge at the mall, the teens that find happiness in stupid things, it's easy to scoff and sit on a bench while I munch on my Auntie Annes. I know I shouldn't be judging, but I promise I'm going somewhere with this.
I watch girls come out of Victoria's Secret with smug little smiles on their faces that say "Hey everyone, I shop at a scandalous store! It's expensive but I can afford it! Love me!" I watch the skaters come out of the scary stores that blare scream-o and sell band shirts. Everyone wants someone to make them feel noticed, and although these are two of the more extreme cases, I think it's safe to admit that we ALL do it. We all want love and we all want acceptance and we all want to feel good about ourselves because of the approval of someone else.
I'm not here to answer the question of WHY? but to offer some alternatives for you people who have seen a little bit of yourself in the girl or the boy. For the people that desperately crave affirmation from people and for the people who throw softball insults at themselves so that their friends can respond with, "No way, girl! You're gorgeous!" For the people like me.
Sometimes I just want to feel special. That's not a sin, and I would even argue that it's something embedded in our souls from the beginning of time. God wants us to seek Him so that He can fill these "affirmation-voids" with the love only He can provide.
The problems arise when we depend on people other that God to make us feel the ways that only He can make us feel. If we're looking for perfect love in humans, tough luck. It's just not going to happen. Even the good people screw up sometimes, and even those who seem "perfect" aren't.
...All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...
-Romans 3:23 NIV
Maybe you know that already. Maybe you're pretty familiar with others letting you down, and I'm sorry for all the times you've been hurt, if that's the case. I think one of the most important parts of this verse is not only that humans fail, but they fail because NO ONE can match the glory found within God's presence. No one.
One of the biggest problems of today is the fact that people underestimate the power of God. They forget that He is literally all we need to survive. We forget that He LOVES us so much that He would literally give His most precious Gift to save us. This blog is a reminder to all of you who put your hope and sense of self in other, failing things. For those of you who think that you can only be happy with a boatload of friends or a killer boyfriend or those new panties from Victoria's Secret. For those of you who think that drugs make you cooler than the "losers" who stay clean. For those of you who think fun can be only achieved through a few drinks. Why are we depending on fleeting things? It's like trusting a plane made from cotton candy. (It's like building your house on Nutella. I'm pretty hungry right now, if you couldn't tell.)
They are silly comparisons but guess what? DEPENDING ON OTHERS FOR FULFILLMENT IS SILLY TOO. And no matter how crappy you think your body is, or how stupid you think your sense of humor is, or how dorky you think your clothes are, GOD NEVER STOPS THINKING YOU'RE THE BEST CREATION IN ALL OF THE EARTH.
Isn't that amazing??? That God sees everything, even the stuff that the creepy stalker pretzel girl (aka me) doesn't see while you exit the store? He sees everything and still loves you enough to give you an unlimited amount of chances to trust in Him. Again and again He forgives, and that should make you happier than any amount of popularity can give. He should make you feel more fulfilled than 20 boyfriends could ever make you feel.
And if He doesn't, then maybe you need to take some time and assess what you value most. Where do you find delight? Where are you fixing your eyes?
Psalm 37 calls you to
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
In Luke chapter 12, Jesus says
"...Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."
He urges us to consider Him our treasure, and all that we need. This is because:
"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Jesus wasn't just making "suggestions." In fact, this chapter of Luke is titled "Warnings and Encouragements." He is warning us that if we set our hearts on earthly things, we're going to be disappointed because they can never fulfill the way Jesus Himself can. We were made to be in relationship with Him, so it makes sense that we have these little holes in us that only He can fill. Think about the times today that you feel discouraged or let down. Was it God's fault? I don't think so. He is always working for your good, and always providing for you, whether it's easy to see or not. Trust in this good news and never thirst or be hungry for affection ever again.
I'm not going to lie, it's super easy to judge these type of people. Because at least with the kids you can say "Oh, they're just babies. They don't know any better." Or with the old people, you can call them senile and dismiss every time they do something silly.
But the normal people in between... we have no excuses. We are easy to judge because for the most part, we're supposed to be responsible for our own actions. And when I see the easiest people to judge at the mall, the teens that find happiness in stupid things, it's easy to scoff and sit on a bench while I munch on my Auntie Annes. I know I shouldn't be judging, but I promise I'm going somewhere with this.
I watch girls come out of Victoria's Secret with smug little smiles on their faces that say "Hey everyone, I shop at a scandalous store! It's expensive but I can afford it! Love me!" I watch the skaters come out of the scary stores that blare scream-o and sell band shirts. Everyone wants someone to make them feel noticed, and although these are two of the more extreme cases, I think it's safe to admit that we ALL do it. We all want love and we all want acceptance and we all want to feel good about ourselves because of the approval of someone else.
I'm not here to answer the question of WHY? but to offer some alternatives for you people who have seen a little bit of yourself in the girl or the boy. For the people that desperately crave affirmation from people and for the people who throw softball insults at themselves so that their friends can respond with, "No way, girl! You're gorgeous!" For the people like me.
Sometimes I just want to feel special. That's not a sin, and I would even argue that it's something embedded in our souls from the beginning of time. God wants us to seek Him so that He can fill these "affirmation-voids" with the love only He can provide.
The problems arise when we depend on people other that God to make us feel the ways that only He can make us feel. If we're looking for perfect love in humans, tough luck. It's just not going to happen. Even the good people screw up sometimes, and even those who seem "perfect" aren't.
...All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...
-Romans 3:23 NIV
Maybe you know that already. Maybe you're pretty familiar with others letting you down, and I'm sorry for all the times you've been hurt, if that's the case. I think one of the most important parts of this verse is not only that humans fail, but they fail because NO ONE can match the glory found within God's presence. No one.
One of the biggest problems of today is the fact that people underestimate the power of God. They forget that He is literally all we need to survive. We forget that He LOVES us so much that He would literally give His most precious Gift to save us. This blog is a reminder to all of you who put your hope and sense of self in other, failing things. For those of you who think that you can only be happy with a boatload of friends or a killer boyfriend or those new panties from Victoria's Secret. For those of you who think that drugs make you cooler than the "losers" who stay clean. For those of you who think fun can be only achieved through a few drinks. Why are we depending on fleeting things? It's like trusting a plane made from cotton candy. (It's like building your house on Nutella. I'm pretty hungry right now, if you couldn't tell.)
They are silly comparisons but guess what? DEPENDING ON OTHERS FOR FULFILLMENT IS SILLY TOO. And no matter how crappy you think your body is, or how stupid you think your sense of humor is, or how dorky you think your clothes are, GOD NEVER STOPS THINKING YOU'RE THE BEST CREATION IN ALL OF THE EARTH.
Isn't that amazing??? That God sees everything, even the stuff that the creepy stalker pretzel girl (aka me) doesn't see while you exit the store? He sees everything and still loves you enough to give you an unlimited amount of chances to trust in Him. Again and again He forgives, and that should make you happier than any amount of popularity can give. He should make you feel more fulfilled than 20 boyfriends could ever make you feel.
And if He doesn't, then maybe you need to take some time and assess what you value most. Where do you find delight? Where are you fixing your eyes?
Psalm 37 calls you to
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
In Luke chapter 12, Jesus says
"...Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."
He urges us to consider Him our treasure, and all that we need. This is because:
"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Jesus wasn't just making "suggestions." In fact, this chapter of Luke is titled "Warnings and Encouragements." He is warning us that if we set our hearts on earthly things, we're going to be disappointed because they can never fulfill the way Jesus Himself can. We were made to be in relationship with Him, so it makes sense that we have these little holes in us that only He can fill. Think about the times today that you feel discouraged or let down. Was it God's fault? I don't think so. He is always working for your good, and always providing for you, whether it's easy to see or not. Trust in this good news and never thirst or be hungry for affection ever again.
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