Keys to Overcoming loneliness

 

     Have you ever been lonely? We all have. Being lonely is human. Sometimes we are lonely for just a season. Other times loneliness becomes a constant  nagging that dries up our souls. Have you ever felt like this: I am like an owl in the desert, like a little owl in a far-off wilderness. I lie awake, lonely as a solitary bird on the roof (Psalm 102:6–7). Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved.

     It doesn’t really matter if we are the cause of our loneliness, or if it just happened. Once loneliness has gripped us we don’t ask “why” but rather “how.” How can I move from loneliness and isolation back into the joy of relationships?

 

     Here are 5 steps to help you overcome loneliness

 

Step 1: Use your lonely times to take stock of your life:

Careful self-reflection is a good practice. Asking yourself questions like: “Is there any thing in my life that is contributing to my loneliness” is a great place to start. Sometimes overcoming loneliness is simple…like getting more sleep or changing a habit. An even better way to take stock of your life is by asking trusted friends if they see anything in your life that needs changing. It might hurt a little, but “wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy” (Proverbs 27:6). Sometime an attitude adjustment is all it takes.

 

Step 2. Use your lonely times to talk to God:

Have you ever had a close friend that you just lost touch with?  Most of us have. Good friends are hard to come by. When Jesus walked the hills of Judah he “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). The Son of God understood that he needed daily contact with his Father. You and I also need daily contact with God. We gain a new perspective on life when we share with God our hurts and fears. He is a truly a friend that sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).

 

Step 3. Use your lonely times to listen to Jesus:

Have you ever stood in a group of people listening to a cell phone ring wondering why no one answered it, and discovered later that it was your phone ringing? Embarrassing right? How about having a conversation and realize that you hadn’t been really listening to the other person. It’s easy to get so caught up with life that you forget to listen to people around you, and even to God. Sometimes God uses our loneliness to break through life’s distractions so that he can tell us how to live a significant life. Jesus, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them” (Mark 4:34). When you’re lonely look to Jesus to speak to you. Read about him in the Bible. He understands your loneliness and longs to fill your life with hope and direction.

 

Step 4. To overcome loneliness, become a part of a family:

Being the father of 12 children means never a dull moment in our home, and not much loneliness either. God has designed the family to meet our longing for love and companionship. The Bible says that God is: “Father to the fatherless, defender of widows– this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy” (Psalm 68:5–6). Let me ask you a very personal question: do you need a father? How about a new family?

For all the joy of being the father there is even a greater joy; being a child in the family of God. The Bible says of Jesus: “to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12–13). Does that sound like good news to you? Becoming a part of the family of God is the most life changing choice you will ever have.

Jesus said: “Those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them” (John 6:37). God has thrown open the door to his home to anyone who will come. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross God won’t reject even one who believes in Jesus. It doesn’t matter where you have been or what you have done. Jesus said: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5).

 

God has chosen the church to be His family.

It is the character of the church to act in love toward one another. The Bible says: Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

 

I would like to invite you to come join us at Reimagine Life Church as we love one another.