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“FEAR OF LONELINESS”
These days we are more connected than ever before – there has never been a time in history where the world has been as connected as we are today. We can instantly reach people on the other side of the world, and we can communicate with friends and family on all kinds of social media platforms; with Whatsapp, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – and the list goes on. Communication tools like this have many positive aspects; however, these social media tools can also increase our fears and insecurities.
On Snapchat, we see the party that everyone’s at except us. On Facebook, we see everyone else living the dream, holiday after holiday, celebration after celebration, but we’re just going through the motions of life. On Instagram, it seems like all our close mates are dating, getting engaged or married, which just continues to fuel our loneliness.
We will all face this fear of loneliness at some time in our life, and when we start to feel like we’re the one being left out, it is easy to think that our emotions would be changed if only the external situation changed. That is, if we were invited to the parties, we would feel included; if we had some holidays, we would feel happier; if we got married, we would feel more secure. But the truth is that changing external circumstances won’t truly change us; it is only an inward transformation that can do that.
The older I get, the more I realize there is only one person who can complete any of us – and his name is Jesus. No matter how much we try to be sociable, at some point we will encounter the fear of loneliness if we are not in relationship with Jesus. This is because when we place our lives in God’s hands, we will never walk alone, wherever we go.
No matter what we have done and regardless of our behavior, God will never turn his back on us. As today’s passage says, God will never leave us or forsake us. Of course, we should continue to be social people, but we do so from the place of drawing confidence from Christ within us, rather than from the people who surround us. We don’t need to endure a lonely life; we can enjoy an abundant life in God and his family!
These days we are more connected than ever before – there has never been a time in history where the world has been as connected as we are today. We can instantly reach people on the other side of the world, and we can communicate with friends and family on all kinds of social media platforms; with Whatsapp, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – and the list goes on. Communication tools like this have many positive aspects; however, these social media tools can also increase our fears and insecurities.
On Snapchat, we see the party that everyone’s at except us. On Facebook, we see everyone else living the dream, holiday after holiday, celebration after celebration, but we’re just going through the motions of life. On Instagram, it seems like all our close mates are dating, getting engaged or married, which just continues to fuel our loneliness.
We will all face this fear of loneliness at some time in our life, and when we start to feel like we’re the one being left out, it is easy to think that our emotions would be changed if only the external situation changed. That is, if we were invited to the parties, we would feel included; if we had some holidays, we would feel happier; if we got married, we would feel more secure. But the truth is that changing external circumstances won’t truly change us; it is only an inward transformation that can do that.
The older I get, the more I realize there is only one person who can complete any of us – and his name is Jesus. No matter how much we try to be sociable, at some point we will encounter the fear of loneliness if we are not in relationship with Jesus. This is because when we place our lives in God’s hands, we will never walk alone, wherever we go.
No matter what we have done and regardless of our behavior, God will never turn his back on us. As today’s passage says, God will never leave us or forsake us. Of course, we should continue to be social people, but we do so from the place of drawing confidence from Christ within us, rather than from the people who surround us. We don’t need to endure a lonely life; we can enjoy an abundant life in God and his family!
Scripture
About this Plan
The aim of this study is to enable young people to overcome social fears and find Biblical tools to live a fearless life. The first seven days focus on the top social fears, whereas the second seven days focus on action points and practical tips for facing fears.
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We would like to thank Hillsong Youth UK for providing this plan. For more resources please visit www.hillsong.co.uk/leaderslab
