In 2 Timothy 4:16-17 I read, “The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear." (NLT)
Eventually, everyone experiences loneliness.
Loneliness isn’t prevented or fixed by beauty, wealth, fame, or success. Even marriage won’t protect me against loneliness. Many people marry because they’re lonely and divorce a few years later for the same reason.
The apostle Paul’s life goal, even toward the very end when he was dying alone, was for other people to know about Jesus. In 2 Timothy he talks about being brought alone before a judge. All his friends had abandoned him. But he kept his eyes focused on the spiritual needs of the people around him: “But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear” (2 Timothy 4:16-17 NLT).
He focused on others because he knew everyone needed to hear about God’s love. He could have focused on his own problems, but instead he looked at what he could do to help others. It kept him from being lonely, even when he was alone.
When I’m feeling lonely, don’t throw a pity party. Stop saying, “I’m alone. Nobody loves me; nobody even likes me.” For if and when I do that, I’d just be focusing on myself.
Instead, turn my focus outward and build bridges to others. I’ll find there are a lot of lonely people who are also looking for connections.
How can I build bridges of connection? One way is by empathizing with other people’s needs. And remember to ask God to help me connect with others. Pray something like this: “Father, help me be a friend to people who need a friend.”
What’s causing loneliness in my life? Extreme seasons of transition, separation, rejection, or opposition can lead to devastating feelings of loneliness. For instance, much of the world experienced loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But don’t let difficult times keep me from reaching out to people. Look beyond my own problems and find creative ways to connect with others. Empathy is the antidote to loneliness.
In summary, everyone experiences loneliness. Loneliness isn’t prevented or fixed by beauty, wealth, fame, or success. The apostle Paul’s life goal, even toward the very end, was for other people to know about Jesus. In 2 Timothy he talks about being brought alone before a judge. All his friends had abandoned him. But he kept his eyes focused on the spiritual needs of the people around him: Paul focused on others because he knew everyone needed to hear about God’s love. He could have focused on his own problems, but instead he looked at what he could do to help others. It kept him from being lonely, even when he was alone. So when I’m feeling lonely, don’t throw a pity party. Stop saying, “I’m alone. Nobody cares.” For if and when I do that, I’d just be focusing on myself. Instead, turn my focus outward and build bridges to others. How can I build bridges of connection? One way is by empathizing with other people’s needs. Also ask God to help me connect with others. “Father, help me be a friend to people who need a friend.” Don’t let difficult times keep me from reaching out to people. Look beyond my own problems and find creative ways to connect with others. Empathy is the antidote to loneliness.
When it appears that everyone has abandoned me, the Lord will be there with me and will give me strength. I may not feel very brave, but the Lord will give me courage. For God wants to give me the strength to do what he has commanded. This strength may not be evident until I step out in faith and actually begin to do the task. God is always there, and I am never alone. When I'm lonely, it's an opportunity to get to know God better. I can talk to him about anything, anywhere, anyplace, and he completely understands how I'm feeling.
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