Alone or lonely? Do
you know the difference? When we are
alone we are working by ourselves. We
aren’t including anyone or anything else.
When we are lonely it is completely different. We may be in a sea of people but still be by ourselves. Lonely is an unpleasant emotion that can make
us feel anxious or worried.
Loneliness pushes us into the dis-ease of life. The medical community has looked into this
issue and found that being lonely creates turmoil in our bodies. When lonely our hearts have to work harder,
our bodies have more stress, we create less immunity, we have increased risk of
suicide, our sleeping becomes altered and many become addicts of some
sort. So therefore loneliness just
simply isn’t an emotion. It attacks our
body and puts stress on the most essential functions.
Many Christians struggle with loneliness. Some of the Godliest people in the scripture
were lonely. Job felt alone in his
troubles, Joseph felt alone in his family’s rejection, David felt alone in his
enemies attacks, Jeremiah felt alone in his stand for the lord, and Jesus felt
alone in the Garden of Gethsemane.
During these times of loneliness remember that with Christ
you are never alone. You can be alone,
but not feel the sadness of loneliness.
The Lord invites us to share everything that we are experiencing with
Him. Psalm 62:8 NIV Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for
God is our refuge. Go to Him in prayer and surround yourself with Christian
friends.
In the article “What
Do I Do When I Feel Lonely?” Charles Swindoll gives these words of wisdom:
Jesus will meet you in your loneliness with a word of understanding
and a heart of compassion.
With Christ, you can be alone without feeling the sadness of loneliness.
Right now, your aloneness is like an emotional desert, where the landscape is
barren and all you feel is the heat of the sun and an awful thirst for
companionship. Now, contrast this desert image with a garden image. Imagine
yourself alone in a garden, listening to the soothing sounds of the birds and
the relaxing rhythm of the wind in the trees. In the garden, you experience
solitude—an entirely different sensation. Solitude brings refreshment, peace,
and meaning.
From the words of Charles R. Swindoll, “Let the Lord change your
desert in to a garden.” In the garden
with the Lord you will never be alone.
Connected, Erin Davis, 2014, B&H Publishing Group, Nashville TN
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