A Gentle Opening: Naming the Feeling
There are times in life when we feel like something is missing. We’ve all felt it, though we often do a good job of disguising it. We go to work or school, spend time with friends, smile, laugh, and go through the motions. On the outside, it may seem effortless. But on the inside, it feels heavy. Hard. Incomplete.
We may look at our lives and think, “I have nothing to complain about, so why do I feel this way?”
That, my friend, is the void we are born with.
Philosophers have tried to explain it, identify it, and define it. In my personal experience, it’s actually quite simple. My spirit and soul seek a fullness far greater than anything this world can offer, and that fullness is found in God. From a mental health perspective, this emptiness is often a signal for meaning, and from a faith perspective, it points us back to our need for God.
The Existential Vacuum: A Human Condition
Philosophers and psychologists describe the existential vacuum as an inner emptiness that drives our search for meaning and purpose. While they may differ in their viewpoints, they largely agree on one thing: humans need purpose. We have an innate drive to create meaning in our lives. https://viktorfranklamerica.com/viktor-frankl-bio/?utm
People attempt to fill this space in many ways, through careers they’re passionate about, belief systems they cling to, and families they hope will become their legacy. Some never quite find it and instead turn to unhealthy substitutes: addiction, risky behavior, constant distraction, or a life that feels empty and directionless.
I’ve seen this firsthand in my work. I’ve sat across from people who had everything they ever wanted, success, money, status, and yet felt deeply unfulfilled.
Mental Health Meets Meaning
At some point in life, most of us pause and reflect. We examine our progress and quietly ask ourselves questions like, “What have I done in this world?” or “When I die, how will I be remembered?”
If you’ve had thoughts like these, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It means something within you is stirring. That inner questioning isn’t pathology, it’s a signal. A gentle nudge from the void, reminding you that you were created for something more.
When someone sits across from me feeling this way, I don’t rush to fix them. I don’t try to silence the questions. Instead, I try to help them find something to live for. Philosopher Viktor Frankl said “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’“. This is the goal we try to explore.
Scripture as Fulfillment, Not Pressure
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.”, Colossians 2:9–10
The Bible has always been presented to me as a source of guidance and truth. When I feel lost or weighed down by sadness, I turn to Scripture. As a Christian, this is how I’ve come to know that God speaks to me.
The Bible doesn’t deny our emptiness; it explains it. It tells us that Christ came into this world to fill the void we carry. Our hearts were never meant to endure pain alone, without God’s grace and mercy. We were created with a capacity that only He can fill.
When God is part of our lives, fullness isn’t something we strive for or achieve; it’s something we receive. I’ve written before about how my own mental health journey has been deeply shaped by faith, and how God has met me in moments when nothing else could. My mental health journey rooted in faith.
Created With a Need for God
I met God as a child, at a time when He knew I would need Him most. He became my friend, my confidant, my counselor, and my Savior.
When I picture God, I don’t see a man sitting in judgment, wagging His finger when I fall short. I see someone walking beside me, listening when I’m sad, staying close when I’m weary.
My relationship with God has brought me comfort in my hardest moments, guidance when I didn’t know what to do next, and love when I felt completely alone. Without Him, my life would feel empty, isolating, and deeply depressing.
I’m grateful He revealed Himself to me so early on. He knew what I would endure, and He wanted to walk with me through it, offering strength I would never have found on my own.
When Purpose Feels Absent
For some, purpose becomes clear early in life. For others, it unfolds much later. If you haven’t found yours yet, let me reassure you: you do have one.
Purpose often comes naturally; it’s something that brings you joy, meaning, and connection. If you’re feeling empty, that emptiness isn’t random. It’s a nudge from a powerful place, reminding you of who you are and whose you are.
You were created uniquely and intentionally. God knew you before you knew yourself. And He wants to be part of your life, not through force or pressure, but through love.
That emptiness you feel? Sometimes God allows us to feel it because He wants to fill it. It may show up as a whisper, “Something is missing”, or a gentle nudge, “Maybe I should go to church.” Other times, it’s louder and harder to ignore.
My encouragement to you is this: don’t resist love.
Ask yourself:
- What gives my life meaning right now?
- Where do I feel empty, and what have I tried to fill that space with?
- Am I ready to invite God into that emptiness, or have I been trying to manage it alone?
A Hope-Filled Closing
You are not broken for feeling empty. You are responding exactly the way you were designed to. Identify that space within you and begin filling it in a powerful, life-changing way.
God created you for life and for relationships. He wants to walk with you, but He will never force His way in. He waits for you to seek Him, to invite Him, to ask Him to dwell within you.
I can promise you this: once you do, life begins to make sense in a way it never did before. You’ll feel freer. Fuller. More whole than you ever imagined.
If you’ve been feeling down, lost, or quietly hopeless, you’re not alone.
And you don’t have to fill that emptiness by yourself.
