WHAT IS WRONG WHEN WE FEEL LONELY?

Perhaps everyone feels alone at times, but we should never feel lonely. We only have to ask and our Lord will be with us. He has said that He will never abandon us nor forsake us. The sad truth is that most people in this world never ask. Why is that?

We often create our own loneliness by failing to use our God-given personalities to love others. If we care for the needs of those around us, or do the work God gives us, we will never feel lonely. Even at night or in an empty house, a setting that so many face and don’t know how to cope with it, we don’t have to feel alone.

Some people are lonely because they cannot bring themselves to trust another person with their intimate life. They keep it bottled up fearing that someone will take advantage of them. Jesus taught to be open with ourselves even to those who may intend to hurt us. They cannot really hurt us spiritually, and that is most important. We don’t have to go that far; we only need to allow other people to see us as we are, not as the shell that we present to the world.

In its extreme, the feeling of loneliness leads to depression and even suicide. Young people can be afflicted with loneliness but it is more prevalent in elders according to surveys.This feeling that accompanies insecurity is widespread in those whom are not at ease in their own company, or are not committed to a greater cause. They no longer get any pleasure from having a cup of coffee or a meal by themselves. Witness people at restaurants sitting alone but not smiling when we try eye contact. Too many have lost the simple joy of solitude.

Also loneliness is fueled by our own self-doubt and feeling that we are an insignificant part of life. But God says that everyone on earth is equally important to Him. A major cure to all of this is to direct our attention away from ourselves toward a cause that is far larger than we are. As followers of Christ we are commanded to do His work in trying to bring others to know Him.

One lonely man who had abandoned hope of happiness found a Bible passage that changed his life. One morning he opened his Bible at random to John 8:39 “The One who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone”. This was Jesus talking but it applies to us as well. He has not left us alone but is with us all the time. We only have to recognize this and embrace Him. No one needs to be lonely with God with us and if we look, wonderful people as well. This man’s “accident” was not that, Christ tells us that nothing happens by pure accident, there is a cause. In my life I know that the Holy Spirit brings many helpful things that would seem accidental if I wasn’t watching for them.