A God-Shaped Hole?

Since this is my blog, I have the privilege to air out a pet peeve from time to time.  So today, I'm going to hop on my soapbox and let'er rip.  

I cannot stand it when people say that "Everyone has a God-shaped hole in their heart."  Where did this nonsense come from?  Could someone show me a Biblical passage or principle that would indicate that this is the case?  I know what people mean when they say this, but it's wrong anyway.  It's sort of like in The Princess Bride when the short Sicilian guy keeps shouting, “INCONCEIVABLE!”  Finally, the Spaniard guy looks at him and says, “This word you keep using, I do not think it means what you think it means.”  Yes, he knew what the Sicilian meant by shouting this word, but he should have said something else.

That’s what my pet peeve is about this God-shaped hole thing.  What we mean is that a person can never find peace or contentment without Jesus Christ.  However, I have heard that people are sometimes told that “This hole is different for everyone, and you’ve got to find out how God fits for you.”  This is so bad that if I start to dwell on it I’ll think it’s Monday all over again.

Let me cut this short so your boss won’t catch you reading.  Don’t tell people that they have a God-shaped hole, tell them that they have a God-sized ego.  Tell them that the reason they are miserable is because they are in rebellion against the God of the Universe and that their doom is more certain than the setting of the sun.  Tell them that the only way to avoid this doom is to humble themselves before the mighty arm of Almighty God, and that they must cling to the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross and trust in His resurrection power.  Then, they will not have any “holes” filled, they will be given a whole new heart.  They will pass from death to life.  They don’t need a celestial pothole filler; they need a completely new heart to replace the old, arrogant rebellious one.

Another reason why I hate this phrase is because every time I hear it, Cyndi Lauper pops into my head singing, “There’s a hole in my heart that goes all the way to China, you’ve got to fill it up with love before I fall insiiiiiiiide….”  Now that’ll be with me for days.  Grrr…