Me and Who Elseعينة

REDEFINING “I”

‘I have nobody’  

‘I am not loved’ 

‘I am worthless.  

‘ No one wants to be with me.’  

‘I am miserable inside. Feels like no one wants me.’  

You will find that most of these phrases run in a loop in our head when we feel lonely. Apparently, all these phrases start with ‘I’. It feels so self-centred. That is why in Luke 9:23 Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily  and follow me.”  

If we can teach ourselves to deny ourselves, our pleasures and our needs, we will overcome this ‘I’ Syndrome.  

One practical way to help yourself out of loneliness is by helping others. Yes, you read it right. Help others. Look for someone else's problems. See how you can help them out of theirs. Now when you do that, don’t think about how that person will give back to you or help you back. Just pour your life into others.  

In 2 Kings 4, when a widow came to Elisha she was broke and the creditors were coming to take her sons as slaves. The prophet asked her what she had with her. She replied, “Your servant has nothing there at all, except a small jar of olive oil.” In verse 3, Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbours for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”  

She did as instructed. Whatever little she had, with it she poured into others’ jars. Her own jar never ran dry till she poured out into the last jar! 

This is a symbolic representation of our lives. Whatever you are left with, take time to pour out into others' lives. Do good to them. You will see that the joy of the Lord will fill you as you pour out your life into others. Jesus did the same for us. He emptied himself into our lives that we might have life.  

As you do this, you will find yourself overcoming loneliness.  

‘You are a blessing in my life.’ ‘ Thank you for being there for me.’  

These are a few new phrases that I now hear people saying when I choose to pour into others. Trust me, it fills you with immense joy which will eventually fight your lonely thoughts.  

Now, you will have a new redefined version of ‘I”.  

‘I want to be of help’  

‘I will be there for them’  

‘I want to share this joy within me’  

Praveen Anand Raj

Pastor.