What Are You Truly Hungry For? (Hint: It’s Not What’s in the Pantry)
I have a question for you, and I want you to be really honest with yourself as you answer it.
What do you do the exact second you feel a random wave of restlessness or stress hit you?
If you are like most of us living in the modern world, you probably don’t stop to analyze it. You just react. You walk over to the kitchen and stare into the pantry, looking for something crunchy or sweet. Or you pull your phone out of your pocket and start mindlessly scrolling through a social media feed. Or maybe you open up a browser tab and start looking at things you don’t actually need to buy.
We treat these little habits as harmless personality quirks or just ways to “take the edge off.” But there is something much deeper happening under the surface.
We aren’t actually hungry for a snack. We aren’t actually interested in the algorithm. We are experiencing a soul-level ping.
The Default to the “Quick Fix”
We are a culture addicted to symptom management. When our bodies lack actual nutrients, they send a physical signal of hunger. In the exact same way, when our spirits are running on empty, our souls start to send out distress signals.
The problem is that we have become terrible at reading the dashboard. Instead of recognizing that our spirit is craving connection, peace, or stillness, we immediately assume we just need a quick dopamine hit to make the uncomfortable feeling go away. We reach for what is easiest, not what is lasting.
But a quick fix never actually fixes the void. It just numbs it for twenty minutes until the restlessness comes roaring back, usually louder than it was before.
“Physical cravings often reflect deeper needs.”
— Lorrie L. Drennon, Holy Voids
The Reality of the Bread
In the ancient world, bread was not a side dish or a luxury; it was the primary means of staying alive. It had to be baked and eaten every single day just to sustain physical life.
When Jesus stood up and told a crowd of people that He was the “Bread of Life,” He was making a radical, practical claim. He was letting them know that the human soul has a daily, functional requirement for spiritual nourishment.
You cannot expect your body to run on a single meal you ate last Tuesday. So why do we expect our spirits to stay strong and peaceful when we only feed them once a week—or not at all?
“When we receive Jesus as the Bread of Life, we find a fulfillment that cannot be replaced.”
— Lorrie L. Drennon, Holy Voids
Redirection Over Guilt
Here is the good news: you do not need to feel guilty about that inner restlessness. You are not failing because you feel a sense of emptiness.
That ache was put there by design. God intentionally created spaces in our hearts that only He is large enough to fill.
The next time you find yourself standing in front of the refrigerator or aimlessly tapping on your phone apps at night, don’t beat yourself up. Use it as a physical trigger to ask a spiritual question. Stop in your tracks and ask your soul: “What am I truly hungry for right now?”
Most of the time, it isn’t what’s in the pantry. It’s a prompt to sit in the quiet for five minutes, open up the Word, and let the only Source that doesn’t spoil fill you up.
In my book, Holy Voids, we look right at the things we use to self-medicate our daily longings. We take an honest look at how our physical habits are often just pointing toward a deeper spiritual need, and how we can find true, lasting satisfaction without exhausting ourselves on temporary things.
To start understanding what your soul is actually asking for, you can pre-order Holy Voids today or join the waitlist for the official release! Stop settling for quick fixes, and taste what it means to be truly full.