Is your life busy, yet not fulfilling? Do you look good on the outside, but on the inside you’re hurting? Do you have every reason in the world to be happy, yet deep down there’s a longing for something more and you just can’t seem to find it?
I’ve always heard we’re each born with a God shaped hole that only he can fill. A career won’t fill the hole. A bigger house won’t fill the hole. New boobs and a flat tummy won’t fill the hole. A new husband won’t fill the hole. You can spend your whole life chasing after that thing that is missing and still be lacking if you’re not in relationship with God. This is God’s space.
Stop for a hot minute and consider this: You’re not supposed to feel whole, fulfilled, content and happy without the fullness of God. You simply aren’t made that way.
I’ve learned you can be in the middle of chaos and uncertainty with people acting like total jackwagons all around you, but when that God shaped hole within is filled with the fullness of God, you can be completely unbothered. I mean simply not bothered by the burdens and worries. Unbothered by the uncertainties and threats.
I’ve also learned you can be in the middle of absolutely everything being so sweet and beautiful and still feel alone. You can be on the biggest and best family vacation and battle a deep unhappiness within. You can be walking in success and have everything you’ve ever dreamed of, but if that God shaped hole within you is empty, then you’re living in poverty on the inside.
That’s what was happening to the people of Sardis. Sardis was a city filled with easy money. Major trade routes ran right through their town, so businesses were booming and money was plenty. In fact, Sardis is where modern money began. This is where the first coin was minted. Money started in Sardis … and money had created a major problem for it’s people.
To these people with all their money, luxuries and comforts, Jesus has John write a letter to them. That letter is found in Revelation 3: 1-6.
Let’s begin with verses 1-3, “Write this letter to the angel of the church or Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive – but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.”
Here’s a fact: When we have luxuries, over time we become soft. When we don’t have to do it ourselves, we become lazy. When everything is easy, we get worse.
The people of Sardis were soft, lazy and growing worse. On the outside they looked so alive with these wonderful, full lives, but Jesus knew on the inside they were dead. That God shaped hole in them was not only empty, but it was completely bombarded by layers of material objects and outer appearances. They just kept layering on more things, more luxuries, more riches, easier living, all while that God shaped hole within them was painfully empty. On the inside they were dead.
I imagine they felt much like we do. We tell ourselves the bigger house will make us happy. We just need more room. Then we get the room and we want to fill the rooms. And now there are just more rooms to clean.
We tell ourselves a new job will make us happy. So we spend our days miserable in the old job waiting for the new job, then we finally get the new job and find out it kinda sucks too. They actually want you to WORK for your paycheck – how dare they!
A baby will make us happy,