I was addicted to chocolate. By mid-morning, I’d be rummaging through the cupboard for any available morsel. One was never enough. A handful failed to quench my desire. Why on earth would anyone choose apple pie over chocolate mousse? I wasn’t one to put on weight easily, so my addiction remained hidden.
What is it about our human condition that makes it shockingly easy to over-indulge? Why such insatiable appetites? And it’s not just food. It can be anything. Too much TV, shopping, work, or working out. Too much wine, whining, or finding fault. Too much of anything unmanaged can easily become destructive.
Enough is enough. Only it isn’t. What propels us to keep filling up? We only need more when we’re empty. There’s not enough chocolate in the world to fill what was never meant to be replaced by cocoa or caffeine—or anything else for that matter. No amount of promotions or Pinterest, Doritos or dopamine, nicotine or numbing drugs, gambling or gaming, shopping or shows, food or fashion, sex or social media will ever manufacture the real hit you desire.
But all of these fillers feel good—for a time. Until they don’t.
Because here’s the thing: there’s a God-sized hole in our souls meant only to be filled by God. But we stuff the space full and sell ourselves short with cheap imitations. We run and hide. We misunderstand what it means to know God and the true peace and joy that accompanies this relationship. We wonder if trading in our habits and addictions for friendship with God will be boring. We may even believe our sins are too great for us to be accepted by God.
The truth is God made you and delights in you. You aren’t a random hunk of matter going through the motions until you die. You MATTER to him. He lived to die for you so all the filth in your life can be wiped clean. The cross bought your second chance. Jesus died to not only assure you eternity but to offer you a more abundant life today.
If you think you’re too messed-up to be eligible, you’re wrong. In his own words, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32) All your mess-ups are erased the moment you accept Jesus. You begin again—a glorious part two—but now you have his Holy Spirit to help and guide you. You’re no longer alone. He fills the empty hole with his love, joy, and peace with enough to share with others. No matter how deep the hole, how old you are, how messy you feel, it’s not too late.
Are you content with the life you’re living today? Is there an emptiness you’ve never managed to fill? Have the quick fixes provided long-term satisfaction? Do you wonder if there’s something more, or a better way to live? Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). And in John 15:5 Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
One simple prayer to God, asking him to forgive your sins and be the true God of your life, can alter your every tomorrow. I know because it has mine, and I’ve never looked back.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” ~ 1 John 1:9
More next time on how my chocolate addiction was resolved…
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- What are you using to fill the God-sized hole in your life?
- If you confess your sins and receive him, he will make you new.
Melanie Stevenson 