Filling Vacuums and Voids

By:  Dale Weckbacher   

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NKJV

Nature abhors vacuums, a theory known as Hmolpedia.  (1)  This theory and the two-millennium long debate have led to the development of a number of things such as atomic theory (c.450BC), barometer (1643), vacuum pump (1650), piston and cylinder (1650), air pump (1657), steam engine (1690), gas laws (1645-1897), and the science of thermodynamics (1865).  (1) 

In a more practical sense, the next time you use your vacuum cleaner, you can thank the theory of hmolpedia for making it possible.  Your vacuum cleaner creates a vacuum inside and air from the outside rushes in to fill that void.  During this process, dirt is sucked in and the dirt on the floor is cleaned up.  However, this theory also applies in human nature as well.

According to Leon F. Seltzer Ph. D in an article appearing in Psychology Today, human nature abhors a vacuum too.  According to the article, we all crave stimulation in order to experience ourselves as totally alive.  When we feel under stimulated, we begin to feel bored, antsy, anxious, irritable, lonely, or even depressed.  This state of mind and emotion can impair our better judgment causing us to make bad or even harmful decisions.  (2)  The key to preventing ourselves from falling into this trap of making harmful and dangerous life decisions is in finding out how to fill the vacuum in our lives. 

Prior to the fall of mankind in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve had direct contact with God their creator.  There was no vacuum or void in their lives for God provided all that they needed.  However, after Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God, they were separated from their creator and a void was formed in their lives. 

Since the creation of this void, mankind has attempted to fill it with many things, most of which are evil, destructive, and harmful.  In fact, 10 generations after Adam and Eve’s sin (Genesis 5), God saw the evil mankind had created on the earth and decided to destroy mankind from the face of the earth (Genesis 6:5-7).  However, one man, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and God chose him to perpetuate the human race (Genesis 6:8). 

In just 10 generations, the vacuum of separation from God had created a situation bad enough for God to desire completely eliminating mankind.  However, God, who always keeps His promises, could not completely destroy mankind for in doing so he would be violating the promise of redemption made in Genesis 3:15.  God therefore found Noah, a righteous man through which the human race would be perpetuated, leading to the birth of Messiah, Jesus Christ (Luke 3:23-38). 

However, just because Jesus Christ was born, died, and resurrected does not mean the vacuum or void in each of our lives has been filled for in order to fill this void one must invite Jesus into their hearts by repenting of their sins and confessing that Jesus died, was buried, and resurrected for their sins (Romans 10:9-10).  This is because God honors our free will to choose and explains much of the evil we continue to see in our world because people can still choose to fill the void in their lives with evil. 

For example, we have just experienced riots in the city of Baltimore Maryland over the tragic death of Freddie Gray.  Mr. Gray died from a traumatic spinal injury suffered while in police custody.  (3)  Six police officers involved in Mr. Gray’s arrest have been indicted (4) but this does not mean they are convicted, only that they get their day in court.  With the officers getting their day in court, the public will finally get the full details of what occurred. 

However, what does this have to do with a void in people’s lives causing them to do evil.  The answer I believe lies in the fact that many of those participating in the riots in Baltimore believed their lives were hopeless and are seeking ways to fill this void of hopelessness.  Many of these people are products of a failed education system that teaches them to seek help from government, academia, and even media to bring them hope.  These individuals showed up in mass to elect Barack Obama President because of his promise of hope and change. 

However, six years into the Obama Administration the death of Freddie Gray demonstrates that their attempts to fill the void with the election of Obama and his promise of hope and change have failed.  Frustrated by this failure to bring hope into their lives, these individuals exercised poor judgment, deciding to riot and cause massive destruction to the city they live in. 

I encourage anyone reading this feeling hopeless to do what I have done, invite Jesus to be Lord of their lives before making any bad, harmful, or destructive decisions in their lives because of the void in their heart.  You can do this by praying this simple prayer,

Dear Lord Jesus.  I know I have sinned and the wages for my sin is death.  I now repent of my sins and ask for your forgiveness.  I know you arose from the grave and now sit at the right hand of God the Father.  I now make you Lord of my life.

The vacuum and void in your life caused by Adam and Eve’s sin has now been eliminated but we still live in a world dominated by sin.  This means there will still be times when circumstances of life will cause us to feel empty, which is why we need to find a church teaching the Bible, attend regularly so we can associate with other believers, and learn what God has to say to us through his Word, the Bible.  By regular association with other believers and God’s Word, these temporary feelings of emptiness can be filled and we can once again have hope. 

There is no need to live life with the vacuum of sin in our lives for Jesus has come and provided salvation.  The only question is will you allow Him to fill this vacuum? 

1. eoht.info. Nature abhors a vacuum - Hmolpedia. www.eoht.info. [Online] [Cited: May 3, 2015.] http://www.eoht.info/m/page/Nature+abhors+a+vacuum.

2. D, Leon F. Seltzer Ph. Human Nature Abhors a Vacuum, Too. www.psychologytoday.com. [Online] Psychology Today, March 5, 2009. [Cited: May 3, 2015.] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolution-the-self/200903/human-nature-abhors-vacuum-too.

3. Lynch, Dennis. Baltimore Riots 2015: Freddie Gray Slammed Head Into Police Van, Causing Fatal Injury, Report Says. www.idtimes.com. [Online] International Business Times, April 30, 2015. [Cited: May 3, 2015.] http://www.ibtimes.com/baltimore-riots-2015-freddie-gray-slammed-head-police-van-causing-fatal-injury-report-1904371.

4. Perez-Pena, Alan Blinder and Richard. 6 Baltimore Police Officers Charged in Freddie Gray Death. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, May 1, 2015. [Cited: May 3, 2015.] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/02/us/freddie-gray-autopsy-report-given-to-baltimore-prosecutors.html?_r=0.