The Phil Files

I have been corresponding with a person who said, “I know I have a God-shaped hole in me. But how do I fill it?”

There is no 1, 2, 3 prescription for this. However, a seeking heart is where we must begin. Here are a few brief words I shared about this journey.

There are a couple of familiar passages you may remember. In the beattitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness’ sake.” (Matthew 5:6) This is another way of saying you hunger for God — His presence, His character, and His compassion. A little later, he promises that, “For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8).

So what I am going to encourage you to do is to read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). If you want to read something else for this search, also read the Psalms and find those that really speak your heart’s cry to God. And pray that God will show himself to you in your daily life. Be open and honest with Him about you hunger for Him.

In Matthew, there are four primary ways given for us to experience God through Jesus in our lives.

1. In the life of Jesus — that’s why I want you to read the Gospels over and over in modern translations that use today’s language (see Matthew 1:23).
2. In the fellowship of authentic Christian community where care and forgiveness are practiced (Matthew 18:20 really verse 12-35).
3. In caring for those in need, especially those who are believers (Matthew 25:31-45; cf. Galatians 6:10).
4. In crossing cultural barriers to walk alongside someone to help them grow in their likeness to Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).

But the key in all of this is a seeking, hungry heart that knows that it has a “God shaped hole”!

Please keep me informed from time to time about how your journey goes and I will pray that God brings several other seekers alongside you to share your journey.

Grace,
Phil