The New Loneliness: Nurturing Connection When You Feel Isolatedნიმუში

Day 2: The Loneliness of Anxiety: Knowing Who Is with You

As you and I struggle with whatever is taking us down that lonely road of uncertainty or anxiety, God already knows what we need. But He often waits for us to surrender to Him our inability to work it out ourselves, and to come to Him with open arms ready to receive His help.

Through God’s peaceful presence, through His trustworthy Word, and through His body—our brothers and sisters in the Lord whose ears are tuned to hear His voice and detect His nudges—God will provide the guidance and wisdom you and I need to make every decision that is before us. You and I are not alone. Our God is with us. And so are those He has surrounded us with, even when we’re still feeling alone

By getting into God’s Word and learning more about His character, we can be assured that He is with us and will help us navigate and overcome feelings of loneliness and anxiety.

Our Prescription for Anxiety

God knew we’d be an anxious people. He is aware of our weaknesses and our worries, and He told us in His Word, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NASB). In a translation that incorporates the original Greek meaning into idiomatic English, which is the way we think and feel today, that verse reads:

Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life (MSG).

How God Helps Us

There are at least three ways God helps us live out our twofold purpose to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love others as ourselves:

• Through His divine provision and intervention in our lives (2 Peter 1:3),
• Through the power of His Word and prayer, and
• Through the people He places in our lives.

However, when you and I try to find our purpose and alleviate our anxiety through a romantic relationship, a career, hobbies, achievements, children, grandchildren, or even one big “mission for God,” we eventually find ourselves feeling lonely and unfulfilled because nothing and no one but God can fill that deep chasm in our hearts—that soul hole that longs for purpose, unconditional love, and eternal hope. Even if we try to alleviate our anxiety through meditation, rest, and self-care, we will still come up short. Our soul cries out for connection with our Maker and with those He has placed in our lives to minister to us. It is that craving for connection with God that made the psalmist cry out, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you” (Psalm 73:25 ESV).

You Can Do This

Are you ever on your own when it comes to uncertainty, anxiety, or fear? Absolutely not. The God who wants your communion is with you, and He wants your life to reflect a steady awareness of His provision, His protection, and His presence. Be a conduit through which He can show the world how strong and capable He is. Big responsibility? Yes. Tremendous privilege? You bet. Doable? Absolutely—with His strength and grace.

You can do all things through Him who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). You are not alone, my friend. You do not have to continue feeling uncertain, anxious, or lonely. You are a person through whom God can do amazing things.

Read Psalm 139. Pay attention to what it says about the God who is with you.

Consider what you learned from these verses about God’s intimate knowledge of you. How can this help you process life differently?