Many people feel lonely at one point or another in their lives. I think this is only very normal. Loneliness can at these times make you rethink your life or your current situation and make some positive changes to it. However, there are growing numbers of people who suffer from a different kind of loneliness every day in their lives. This kind of loneliness is very devastating for it leaves people not only lonely but deeply hurt as well. You may think that it only happens to elderly people who have lost their spouses and friends, but you may be surprised to know that a large number of young people today are found amongst this category, and their number is still rising. This is really alarming friends! The sad truth is that not even the Church is helping out and reaching out to these kind of people.
Society has changed drastically in the last fifty years or so, and needless to say so have we. Our attitude towards what we deem weak has changed drastically. Many of us have no mercy left anymore for people who seem unable to fit in this new society of ours. Our lives are now totally focused on the self and there is no room for mercy for others. Oh yes, we want mercy from others but we do not want to extend our mercy to others.We live our lives as if we are in a tracking race, running to win that race on a daily basis for we race the kids to school, we race to work, we race to buy groceries, we race to get the kids from school, we race and race and race. Besides that this kind of life is utterly unhealthy, it leaves us with no time left anymore to relax and enjoy life. We do not take the time to meet with people nor open ourselves up to meet new people because we simply lack the time. We already have our friends and to look out for more means more time to spend with them,time which we simply do not have anymore.
In my view this society has turned into a selfish society in which everything is focused on the ‘me, my and the I” first. Even though family should come first, we also need to take a look around us. There are many people who have no family nor friends left anymore .This can be due to many reasons, one of them could be due to the fact that all around you are dying because of old age, or it can be due to a move to another city. Whatever their reason for their loneliness, you need to realize that these people live their lives within their own confinements, never meeting up with others, never laughing. Instead they are left behind lonely and desolate.
This should not be so! We as Christians, ought to look out for such people and give them a bit of warmth and love. Every one of us needs it, so lonely people need it too. Maybe they need it more than you do,have you thought about that?
Not everybody that feels lonely lives alone however. One can live in a house full of people and still feel very lonely. I for example, used to feel very lonely growing up. I felt lonely because I felt very misunderstood by my parents. In fact they made it very clear to me that I was not a normal person in their eyes, and this reflected on my siblings, who in turn always played together leaving me out. Believe me, I know what loneliness means. I also know how to overcome this loneliness. The Bible is the answer of course. In the Bible we read that King David also suffered from loneliness at times in his life. Psalm 143:4 gives us a perfect description of how he felt at those times: “Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate”. I think that his description matches our own when we feel lonely, don’t you agree? David’s loneliness could also at times bring him to a state of utter despair. In his despair he prayed to God:
“Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.”(Ps 25:16)
This is a kind of prayer that goes not only to the point, but it also is a kind of prayer you should pray whenever you feel lonely. The answer for loneliness is God. He will redeem your soul:
“The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.”(Ps 34:22)
Whenever you turn to God with your afflictions, He is faithful to heal you from them. Why? Because God will never misuse your trust in Him. He will give you exactly that what you have trusted Him for. So dear brothers and sisters, there is no need for you loneliness anymore. God will take care of you. Jesus told us that we should give him our burdens, for His yoke is light (Mt.11:29-30). Dare to trust God that He will take care of your loneliness. Another advice I can give you is, try to seek some outdoor activity. Seek an activity that involves others. Take a look at what is out there available for you to do and try to fit in. This may not bring you friends, but at least it will keep you from being alone all the time. If your loneliness is from other factors such as psychological problems, rejection, being misunderstood etc. try to seek some professional help. Sometimes, and I know this by own experience, we can create our own loneliness by retracting from society because of the load of problems we carry. The only solution is to seek professional help. They are able to shed a different light upon your situation and it will help you, trust me. Thus concluding this all, prayer, together with assertive action on your part may help you overcome your loneliness.
If you need help with this, please do not hesitate to contact us, we will try to help you find adequate help.