"The Cure For Loneliness" - Inspirational Weekend

A person can be alone, and yet not feel lonely.   Also, a person can find themselves in a crowded room and yet feel lonely.  So to a large degree, loneliness is a state of mind; a feeling caused by feelings of disconnectedness.   Even in loving families, you can find almost no type of communication (and therefore feel lonely) when one is on the computer, another on his smartphone, and still another family member in a zombie state watching TV.  We are supposedly all connected nowadays with all this technology and all the social media.  After all, we have many so-called "friends" on Facebook, don't we?  Still many individuals are suffering from chronic loneliness.  There may be many reasons for this; often elderly persons are the most affected, especially if they are shut-ins for health reasons.   These seniors cannot go out and volunteer and thereby be around more people to combat the pain of loneliness.  They have the telephone to call family, but that is not the same as being together in the same room, sharing and giving a hug now and then, which gives one the experience of true companionship, keeping a person from feeling lonely for a time.  At the end of this post is a sermon on loneliness by Dr. Charles Stanley.   

Besides the quote above, loneliness is also bad for your health.  Loneliness can kill you.  It is believed that social isolation kills more people than obesity does.  Loneliness has about the same risk of death as smoking does.  According to one source,  social isolation has a detrimental effect on a person's immune system and helps to increase inflammation if you are already prone to it.  This can bring about many complications, such as arthritis and even heart disease. 

But as I stated before, loneliness is primarily a state of mind. Don't get me wrong, loneliness is very real.  I've been there, done that. I have overcome loneliness by being busy in Bible study and prayer, as well as by doing research for these blog posts. As I research, I read and make note of many Scriptures, which in turn inspires me and draws me close to the Lord.  In other words, stay busy in the Lord's work and stay focused on Jesus and spiritual matters, and that will keep you from being lonely as you fellowship with the Lord.   Below is another take on loneliness:

In the Hebrew, the word translated "desolate" or "lonely" in the Old Testament of the Bible means "one alone, one who is solitary, forsaken, wretched."   Even King David got lonely and filled with despair.  "Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted."    -  Psalm 25:16.   What did David do to remedy these feelings?  He turned to God and prayed and his Psalms testify to this fact.   David loved and trusted God, and he knew that his only real hope was in the Lord.   So that is the cure for loneliness !  Go constantly before God in prayer, confide all your fears and lonely feelings to Him.  When you think about it, loneliness has a way of drawing people to God for relief.   And He will keep you from being lonely.   What better companion could a person have than the Lord Jesus Christ !  He laid down His life for us, and called us His friends.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."       - Jesus speaking at John 15:13-15

Remember also what Jesus said at Matthew 28:20b ,  "and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.."

And Hebrews 13:5b tells us,  "for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

What a friend we have in Jesus !  So our alone time can be a blessing to us if we let it -- by spending quality time with the Lord in prayer and Bible reading.   Life is all about love and relationships; and God wants to have a close, intimate, personal relationship with us through Jesus Christ.   We get to know God as we read the Bible, pray, and put our trust in Him.   First, though, (in order for our prayers to be heard and answered by God), we must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and believe that He rose from the dead.  (Romans 10:9,10,13).   To do that you must repent of your sins, confess your sins to God, and ask Jesus to come into your heart - and believe with all your being that only Jesus' death and shed blood at the cross can wash us from our sins.   If you do all of that, then God will hear and answer your prayers, if they are according to His will.   Remember, the Lord is always near, watching over us.  He longs for our companionship and will give us peace and comfort and His friendship if we will only turn to Him in prayer and worship, and obey His commands.

Romans 10:9,10,13:  " (9)  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  Take this step, and spend much time with the Lord, and watch how He transforms you and your life as He becomes your constant companion, Who will never abandon you, never forsake or leave you.

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."  -  2 Corinthians 4:16

"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you."  James 4:8a 

Following is a sermon from the archives of Dr. Charles Stanley dealing with the subject of loneliness.   Please watch.  In this sermon, Dr. Stanley gives examples of how he has felt lonely, as well as ways to alleviate the loneliness.