Let Go of Loneliness

Matthew 28:20b, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

There was once an advertisement in a Kansas newspaper that read like this: I will listen to you talk for 30 minutes without comment for five dollars. It sounds like a hoax, doesn’t it? But it wasn’t long before that the individual who had placed the advertisement in the newspaper was bombarded by about 10 to 20 calls a day. The pain of loneliness for some is so sharp that they were willing to try anything for half an hour of companionship.

Lonely people often feel left out. They feel unwanted or rejected, even when they are surrounded by others—whether it be friends, family, or the congregation of a church. Have you felt that way? With loneliness, not only can there come this feeling of being left out, but a sense of worthlessness. In other words, people reason within themselves: Well, since nobody wants to be with me, I guess I’m not worth being with. It is important that we realize that loneliness is one of the greatest problems that 21st century society faces.

Loneliness is a hollow emptiness, a feeling of isolation and disconnection, of not knowing what to do, as no one seems to care.  In reading about this subject, I note that loneliness is increasing everywhere. It can be as unhealthy as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Does loneliness make you feel sick and needy?

Yes, loneliness is one of the greatest problems people face today. It is a leading cause of suicide-that is now the third greatest killer of students in the United States. People feel various kinds of loneliness. One of the most common is the loneliness of solitude. Or there is the loneliness of suffering. Many people experience loneliness in society, or there is the loneliness of sorrow, guilt, and judgment.

Modern life is making us lonelier, and recent research indicates that this may be the next biggest public issue. It is on par with obesity and substance abuse. Lonely youth commit suicide or take more drugs. We are social beings, and we need to feel that we belong to others and feel connected to one another. Sadly, if people are socially isolated, they can remain in an uncomfortable state of loneliness. Is this you?

Research notes that social pain is as real a sensation for us as physical pain. Modern researchers have shown that loneliness and rejection activate the same part of the brain as physical pain. We may be really hurting, and when we are in pain, it hurts even more to feel so alone.

An American preacher named Vance Havner once said, "One of the worst things about loneliness is that you can’t run away from it." 

Albert Einstein, who was not a Christian, said, "It is strange to be known so universally, and yet to be so lonely."

William Carey, the father of modern missions in India, who wrote these words in his diary: “O that I had an earthly friend on whom I could unburden my soul”. 

After the death of her husband, Queen Victoria said these words: “There was no-one left to call me Victoria”.

Let Psalm 25:16 speak to you. "Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted."

We need to turn to the Lord Jesus, and He will turn to us. He is always present with us and will touch our souls with His love. Our loneliness is His call into intimate fellowship with Him. He is all we need. He cares for us. He reminds us that "He will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6b NIV). All that we need to do is to turn aside to the Lord and pray. Yes, Jesus does hear us and touches our souls with peace and happiness, giving us something to do for the Lord. He is present with you and me always. We are not lonely. He is with us.

David wrote, "My heart and my flesh cries out for the living God" Psalm 84:2. All of us feel at times a loneliness for God. It makes us restless. You see, man was made for God; and without God, he is lonely. But Jesus is knocking at the door of our heart, saying, “I want to come in. Let me in.” He doesn’t push His way through that door. We have to open it and invite Him in; when we do, He comes in to live forever and we are never lonely again.

You see, loneliness can actually be a catalyst to grow our relationship with God rather than stifle it. Loneliness is God’s way of reminding us we were made for a personal relationship with Him, and He placed a deep longing in our hearts only He can satisfy.

Maybe you’re feeling loneliness because of the loss of a spouse from separation, divorce or even death. Maybe it’s because of an empty nest, an empty spot at the table, the loss of friends, or attending holidays, weddings or social events solo in a new season of life. It can even sometimes feel the strongest when we’re in a crowded room or with a spouse who makes us feel invisible or unimportant even when in their presence, proving loneliness is a state of mind, not a state of a being.

Regardless of the root of our loneliness, we can always trust God is with us. As we lean into Him, we can continue to pray that He will bring the right people into our lives and satisfy our need for human connection as He satisfies our soul’s thirst for Him. In my own life, I’m thankful God has given me my two daughters and son, my mother and some wonderful female friends to support and care for me as I walk through lonely seasons.

Connect with God first, and the rest will eventually fall into place. God may not take away the loneliness, but as we put our hope in Him like David did, God will make sure we feel His nearness.

God loves you and wants to share himself with you. That’s the best prescription for a lonely soul. And his Son Jesus Christ has said, “I am with you always even to the end of the age”. Tell him how you feel and spend time in prayer today.

Dear Lord Jesus, I feel lonely sometimes. I know that You are with me every day, and that You will help me to share our love for You with others.  Hear my plea; help me feel Your nearness as You divinely work to bring the right people into my life. Help me to reach out to my neighbors when they are in trouble.  Help me care for others in true fellowship and in Jesus' precious love. I pray in His name. Amen.

Knowing Jesus, I'll need not be lonely again!

Pastor Ken

Each week:

Wednesday 7 PM -Prayer Meeting / Friday 7 PM -Prayer for the Nation

Saturday 7 AM -Men's Bible and Breakfast

Sunday 9 AM -Sunday School, 10 AM Worship

        Message this Sunday: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Daniel 2:1-23)

June 1st we will have Missionary Chris Boda from India speak to us for our 10 AM service.  His son is recovering from his heart problems and Chris is now free to come.

Faith Fellowship -Our Forever Family, Luck, WI

Ken Mettler, Pastor (715)475-7666

https://www.instagram.com/sufferingoptional/p/C-TdPzIuT4b/?img_index

More on Loneliness

Dr Gary Collins, who is a professor of psychology and a Christian author, writes this: “We live in a loneliness producing society”. Isn’t that interesting? A loneliness-producing society, where rapid change and modern technology discourage intimacy and stimulate loneliness. Even in homes and churches people avoid each other—people keep to themselves, not willing to make personal contact.

I think it has got worse as the years have gone by. The big question is, How do you cope with your loneliness? Some advice given today by psychiatrists and psychologists is:

• change your job

• join a club; be positive

• get married; get remarried

• travel the world; move house

• use your hi-fi, turn your TV and your radio on

• read good books; take up a hobby

• expand your horizons; renew your goals

• volunteer for some good cause.

• Make an effort to talk to others and be a friend.

  
  

All of these things, good in themselves, cannot remedy the deep pain, the problem at the deepest level.

I think you have to accept some things in life that will never change. You can’t change everything—it’s impossible. Learn that lesson, as the Apostle Paul said and recorded in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned to be content whatever circumstances”. There it is—a great Biblical teaching. What we do need today is to realize that all the anxiety of struggling with accepting our circumstances causes more anxiety, more pain, more stress, and even accentuates our feeling of loneliness.

Let Psalm 25:16 may speak to you. "Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted."