The Void That Only Christ Can Fill

During my 3 month long missionary work in Arua, located in the Northern Region of Uganda, I heard about and saw the destructive impact that alcohol has. While the delirious man walking loudly in the streets during the day easily can be seen as just an extreme case; the reality becomes a lot more heartbreaking after talking to people.

I spent most of my days walking around the outskirts of Arua, talking to people by the roadside or outside their homes where they were selling fruits, sugar, flour, soap and other small things in hope to earn enough for the day. It was mostly women doing this kind of work and many of them had small children and it didn't take long before I noticed a common answer to my question about where their husbands were. Since I was out during the daytime many of their husbands were working, but many of them were separated; and though I hesitate to say that most of them were separated, I can without hesitation say that alcohol was a part of almost every reason for why they separated. If drinking wasn't the main reason it most certainly was a big reason.

While talking to a woman who had left her violent husband, I only saw sorrow in her eyes while she spoke about him. She was truly grieving the man even though he had done what he did, but as soon as she mentioned alcohol her grieving eyes were filled with anger. This grief towards her man and the anger towards alcohol got stuck in my mind and while talking to other women whose stories were similar, I kept seeing this distinct separation between their husbands and the alcohol. Though I understood that this was revealed to me by the Holy Spirit I didn't understand why; God does not tempt us so I knew that there must be a reason.

The weeks passed by and this growing conviction that I was called to do something in Arua became more and more clear to me. On Sunday one week before I was going home I decided to visit a new church. I had planned to visit this church one week earlier but then decided to do something else. I did visit a few churches during my time in Arua and something that they all have in common is that it is very loud, they have big speakers and the volume is maxed out; this church was no different but at this time I was kinda used to it. Just before the meeting ended the pastor had some last words; he started talking about alcohol. The volume shifted and though I heard him clearly I turned my ear towards him, he said that he earlier in the week read that Uganda was in the top of alcohol consumption in Africa and that Arua was in the top of consumption in Uganda. As he pointed out that over consumption of alcohol was a huge problem I couldn't find it in my heart to agree; I started thinking about the distinct separation between alcohol and the husbands I had been shown while talking to the women and I asked in my heart why I didn't agree.

One week later when I was back home in Sweden I got the answer. As long as the focus is set to lower the consumption of alcohol the battle is lost; because in the same way we need Christ to battle our nature to sin, we need Him to battle our consumption of alcohol. We have a void in our hearts that only God himself can fill and the evil one has given us alcohol as a tool that while it destroys everything around us makes us numb to this fact. The solution is not substance abstinence, refraining from alcohol will not fill the void; what is needed is to be reconciled with Almighty God and this is only possible through Jesus Christ, through the work He did on the cross for us all, through whole hearted repentance.

I'm currently still in Sweden working hard to get enough funds to be able to return to Arua. If you wish to help out with this work, through prayer or donation you are most welcome.

Your born again testimony

The gift of Jesus Christ that you have been given is a gift that never stops giving; so go back to what you have written and write down the rippling effect of your new life.

By sharing your testimony you are being a witness to what Jesus Christ has done for you, this opens up the door for you to share the Gospel and being obedient to the mission commandment given in Mark 16:15.

Being born again is not a statement, it is a complete transformation. While your flesh may stay the same your heart of stone is replaced. You are given a new spirit that is free from the shackles of sin and death that you were bound to. And your name is now written in heaven - in the Lamb’s book of life.

Write down your testimony. Where were you, what did you do and what happened, what changed right after you decided to Follow Christ?

You can write wherever you want or

No matter how hard you work and struggle, no matter how many times you get up after you fall, no matter how wholeheartedly you try to do the right thing, emptiness with all its heavy and unloving feelings will return.

Whether it is today or tomorrow, emptiness will return. You know it. It has beaten you before, you have put it in your tears before, you have cursed it and run from it on the journey of life.

Emptiness puts the dream you have of one day getting better further and further away with every passing moment; do you feel how you are being handcuffed? They come when emptiness with all its hopelessness moves in and takes over, they come to exclude love with all its joys. Emptiness's goal is to paralyze the one who seizes it.

I have spent many years on the paths of emptiness and they are always like trails of light in darkness where the lamps of joy and peace are never lit. Even though I never wanted or sought those paths, they have always found me; because I have never had an alternative, emptiness has camouflaged itself as the truth and I have walked on the lie every time.

As long as we are uncertain of another path, we are slaves to the lie, but there is one who gave his life to give you and me the path of truth, one who gave his life so that you and I would have life.

He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, He is the light in the lamps on the path of light we missed and in Him there is no darkness, nor any emptiness. The truth itself says; For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

Through Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, we are given the opportunity to be reunited with God so that we can walk on the path of truth. Jesus lived without sin and gave himself and his life as a ransom and sacrifice so that you and I would have our sins forgiven. On the third day, God raised Him from the dead, thus showing His victory over both sin and death.

The work of reconciliation between God and man reconciles you with the truth that completely excludes emptiness, when you choose to repent in faith in the work of salvation that Christ brought forth on the cross of Calvary.

When you choose to repent from a life without Christ as Lord, and place your faith in that He gave His life for you on the cross of Calvary, and that God raised Him from the dead on the third day, and let Him be Lord and Savior over your life, then you will share in His victory, then your sins will be forgiven and you will be born again in the Truth.

Let emptiness pass you by, choose the way of Truth…

God bless you!