Less of Me, More of Him: The Hollow Block Life

The strength isn’t in what’s filled, but in what’s been made empty and ready to hold something greater.

If you’ve ever picked up a cinder block, you know it’s not exactly light. But here’s the surprising truth: it’s lighter because it’s hollow. When Harmon S. Palmer patented the first concrete block machine in 1900, his original blocks were solid. Heavy. Dense. Hard to handle.Then Palmer realized something counterintuitive — by removing material and leaving space inside, the block became stronger, cheaper, and more useful. Those empty spaces made the block lighter to carry and more durable when reinforced.

That small design change changed the entire construction industry.And it’s also a perfect picture of the Christian life.

The Strength of Emptiness

We live in a world that worships fullness. Full schedules. Full closets. Full resumes. Full minds.But fullness doesn’t always mean strength. Sometimes it means weight.Sometimes it means we’re too crowded to carry what really matters.

A solid block looks strong, but it’s also brittle. Under pressure, it cracks because there’s nowhere for the stress to go. A hollow block can absorb pressure, distribute weight, and become stronger when filled with reinforcing steel and mortar.

Spiritually, that’s the picture of surrender.When I try to be “solid” — filled with self, pride, or control — I’m heavy and fragile. But when I empty myself before God, I become lighter, freer, and ready to be filled with His strength.

The Divine Paradox: Less Is More

Jesus modeled it perfectly. Philippians 2:7 says He “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant.”He who was full of glory chose to become “hollow,” in human form — dependent, humble, obedient. And through that self-emptying, He became the cornerstone of salvation for the whole world.

John the Baptist understood it too when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).That’s not a slogan for self-hatred — it’s a roadmap to freedom. It’s an invitation to become like the cinder block: useful not because of what we’re filled with, but because of what we’ve made room for.

Hollowed by God

Sometimes God doesn’t just ask us to make room — He hollows us out.Through trials, loss, or waiting, He chisels away the excess — pride, distraction, self-reliance — not to destroy us but to prepare us.

It feels painful to be emptied. But those hollow spaces aren’t signs of weakness; they’re the spaces God intends to fill with His Spirit. Paul understood this when he wrote,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”— 2 Corinthians 12:9

We think strength means being solid. God says strength means being filled.

A Better Builder

When you lay a wall of hollow blocks, they become stronger as they’re joined together — reinforced, sealed, and supported.That’s community. The Church is built the same way: imperfect, hollow people joined and filled by the same Spirit, forming something far greater than any of us alone.

Ephesians 2:22 says, “And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.”

We are the living blocks in God’s construction project — a spiritual house made stronger by our surrender.

The Takeaway

A solid life might look impressive, but it’s often self-sufficient, inflexible, and fragile under stress.A hollow life — one that’s surrendered, teachable, and open — is lighter, freer, and able to be filled with the power of God.

The world says “fill yourself.”Jesus says, “Empty yourself.”Because the space you give up becomes the space He fills.And that’s where real strength is found.

What areas of your life feel “too full” right now — crowded with noise, stress, or control?

Where might God be “hollowing” you — creating space through difficulty or surrender?

How could you practically “decrease” this week so that He might increase?

Lord, hollow me of everything that makes me heavy — pride, fear, control, and distraction. Fill the spaces I’ve been trying to occupy with Your Spirit. Teach me to find strength not in my fullness, but in Yours. Amen.