No Vacancy

It has struck me freshly again today that being created has profound implications. We are not supreme, so we will worship. We are not sovereign, so we will obey. We are not alone, so we will love... something.

It is not enough to chase the destructive, proud, God-belittling attitudes (sin) from our hearts. We can't simply "die to self" or "do the right thing." With regard to affection, our heart is never vacant.

From Chalmer's "Expulsive Power of a New Affection":

It is Not Enough to Understand the Worthlessness of the World; One Must Value the Worth of the Things of God

The love of the world cannot be expunged by a mere demonstration of the world's worthlessness. But may it not be supplanted by the love of that which is more worthy than itself? The heart cannot be prevailed upon to part with the world, by a simple act of resignation. But may not the heart be prevailed upon to admit into its preference another, who shall subordinate the world, and bring it down from its wonted ascendancy?
...
In a word, if the way to disengage the heart from the positive love of one great ascendant object, is to fasten it in positive love to another, then it is not by exposing the worthlessness of the former, but by addressing to the mental eye the worth and excellence of the latter, that all old things are to be done away and all things are to become new. To obliterate all our present affections by simply expunging them, and so as to leave the seat of them unoccupied, would be to destroy the old character, and to substitute no new character in its place.

Additional Resources
How Christ wins the life or death war for our affections
The Expulsive Power of a New Affection