Aloneنموونە

WHO ELSE IS LONELY?

Alright, we’ve talked a lot about how God is with you, so no loneliness ever leaves you truly alone. We also talked about making the most of a season of loneliness by practicing solitude with God. All good stuff. But, as we said on day one, we are social creatures…we need relationships. So, let’s get into some stuff that will actually help deal with your physical loneliness. 

Now, the advice I’m about to give you may seem counter-intuitive, but stay with me because I honestly think it’s the best solution. Let me ask you this: who can you think of who might be having a tougher time with loneliness than you? And no, I’m not asking you to think of them so that your life looks better by comparison. What I’m getting at is that there is almost certainly someone in your life struggling with loneliness as well. Once you think of them, you have to take it a step further: what can you do to help them? 

Here’s where all of this comes from…you’re about to read a passage from Psalms where it talks about how God “places the lonely in families.” What he isn’t talking about is dropping lonely people off at a house to live with a new family (obviously…that would be weird). But, he’s saying that God cares for the lonely, and he works through his people to place them in community. If you’re reading this, you are God’s people. So, who do you know that’s feeling lonely, and how can God work through you to place them in community? It may be an invite to church (or an online church experience if you’re still in quarantine), it may start by simply reaching out with a text or DM to strike up a conversation…it could be 100 different things, but be on the lookout for how God can use you to “place the lonely in families.” 

What does this have to do with your own loneliness? Well, I’m sure it’s obvious that as you begin reaching out to other people, it’s going to help you with whatever social distance you’ve been struggling with. But, the real solution actually runs deeper than that. Whenever we take our eyes off ourselves and focus on God’s mission in the world around us, it tends to minimize whatever problems we were dealing with. I’m not saying it will automatically cure whatever loneliness you’ve been dealing with, but it will definitely be a huge step in the right direction. So, read these verses, think for a minute about who you know that might need help, and then reach out…it’s that simple.