Psychiatrists say that the vast neurotic misery of the world could be termed a “neurosis of emptiness.” Such emptiness is always dangerous, for human nature like physical nature abhors a vacuum. A person must be filled with something. If his life is not filled with good, then he becomes easy prey for evil.
Jesus emphasized this when he told the story of a man who drove the devil out of his life and thus emptied his life of evil. However, he failed to then fill his life with good and in time the devil returned with seven of his cronies and moved back into the man’s life. Thus his latter condition was worse than the beginning. Jesus told this story to illustrate the perils of emptiness. He was saying, “It is not enough to empty life of evil. You must also fill it with good.” Life needs both a cleansing and a filling.
Life needs to be emptied of evil for there are some things that are wrong and do not belong in our lives. Some people want their religion without negatives (moral boundaries). But a life without boundaries is like a car without brakes—sooner or later it will wind up a wreck.
But a car needs more than brakes. It also needs an accelerator. So it is with life. It needs to be cleansed of evil but it also needs to be filled with good things such as faith, hope, and love. Why are people empty? Because they have cut themselves off from God. There is a God-shaped vacuum in each soul that only the Lord can fill. Pleasures, wealth, and education will not substitute.
Is there an emptiness in your life? If so, invite Jesus Christ in. He alone can fill that emptiness.