Find comfort in your loneliness
“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.”
— Psalms 25:16 (NIV)
With over 7 billion people in this world, and many modes of communication — cellphones, land lines and emails — who would think that anyone would be lonely?
Yet, as in ages past, loneliness is prevalent in today's society. I heard a statement made that most people email friends in other parts of the world, yet don't even know their next-door neighbors. This is a sad fact and also a cause for some of the loneliness in our society.
Being alone and being lonely are two different things. Someone can live alone and never be lonely, while someone else may have people all around them and still be lonely. Even when we have a mate, we can have times of feeling lonesome.
Loneliness is a state of sadness that occurs as a result of feeling cut off from others. Feeling misunderstood by others can give us a feeling of loneliness or isolation.
There are many reasons for feeling this way. Illness can make us feel lonely when we feel no one else can understand how we feel. Low self-esteem can make us feel isolated from others when it keeps us from stepping out to socialize. The loss of a significant loved one can make us feel lonesome for a season.
When we're feeling lonely, we have to be mindful of negative thought patterns that want to drag us down. Thoughts of suicide may appear to be the answer, or tormenting thoughts like “no one knows how I feel” may infiltrate our minds.
The truth is there are times others may not totally understand us. But God always understands us, and gives us ways to cope with our feelings.
We must also keep in mind that the loneliness we are encountering is only for a season. We don't have to choose to feel lonely forever. We can pray and ask God to bring us to Bible passages that confirm God's love for us. When the negative thoughts come, we can meditate on those passages to counteract the negative ones.
As a nurse, I suggest those with severe bouts of loneliness checking with a physician for any chemical imbalances that may cause feelings of isolation. Also be willing to face any fears and take steps to meet others.
No matter what issue we face in this life, God is always available to comfort and to guide us thorough it.
Ÿ Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at Annetteebudzban@aol.com.