Overcoming Loneliness

"Get Real"--This is the phrase that motivated me to ask my church Family to express their most burning questions in their lives--I wanted us to 'get real' and have Jesus address our real-life questions and hurts.

So here is today's:

 

"How come having faith does not take away loneliness?"

 

I am convinced that life with Jesus means not only eternal life but also abundant life.  Life with Him means that we are given gifts of fulfillment that cannot be attained anywhere but through Him.  Unfortunately, sometimes we can think that abundant life means that we are not going to experience pain.  Oh, I know when we talk about this sort of thing we immediately agree that simply because we have Jesus in our lives that everything won't be perfect.  But it's not until we begin to actually experience the reality of the pain and hurt, that we also begin to question what life with Jesus is all about.  It just feels like something is wrong.

 

And it is. . . .

 

It's called living in a sinful and broken world.  And God knows full-well that things are not as they should be here on earth.  In John 16:33 Jesus says "In this world your will have trouble."  Funny, isn't it, that it is so easy to dismiss what Jesus says?  This simple statment is profound in His awareness of the reality we live in, but our real-life struggles, when they confront us full-on, seem far more real than a few words from Jesus.

 

Maybe we should pay more attention to what He says?  Did you know that the phrase just before and just after verse 33 give us incredible hope for something better?  Jesus says before "I have told you these things so that you may have peace."  And just after: "But take heart!  I have overcome the world."

 

Amazing!  In one short verse Jesus indicates to us that He is fully aware of our struggles, and that He is offering to us a way to live that is so much better.

 

So what about the question:  how come having faith (in Jesus) doesn't take away loneliness?  Well the first thing we need to accept is that having a relationship with Jesus doesn't mean that we won't experience pain--and lonliness can really hurt.  It's important that we understand that, and ask the right question.  Which is not "why am I hurting?"  We already know that--we live in a hurting world and we are a part of that world.  But a better question is:  "Lord Jesus, I know you love me, so what is it that you want to do to help me?"

 

To the person who is lonely He offers friendship and peace.  Hebrews 13:5-6 says "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. . .The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?"

 

God's promise to His lonely children is to remind them of His great love.  In fact, His love is so great as to overcome the reality of the circumstances you are currently experiencing.  Has someone left you?  His love can bring you peace.  Has your family abandoned you?  Listen to what God says about that: Psalm 68:6 "God sets the lonely in families." 

 

Your Heavenly Father really does care about where you are at right now--and He is making promises to provide for you things you may have thought impossible.

 

Do you need a 'family'?  He knows exactly where to bring you in order for you to be blessed with the abundance that comes from Him alone.  It may not look the way you imagine it--you may find yourself being led by Him to meet new people that will one day become your new family where you will not be lonely any more.  But however He goes about it, all He is asking of you today is to trust Him and to offer Him your hurt--your loneliness.

 

He won't let you down.

 

My prayer today is that God will lead people to read this blog who really need help.  And I ask you Father, to make real all the promises you speak to those who are lonely today.

 

Thank you that we can trust you to hear us and to act on our behalf.

 

BT