Do you know what affects both the singles and the married alike? The famous and the unknown? The teenagers and the elderly? What may pose an even bigger danger to your health than even smoking or obesity?
The answer is: LONELINESS.
Mother Teresa even referred to loneliness as the “leprosy of the modern world.”
On The Elena & Natalia Show, we wanted to share our hearts on loneliness, because it’s a BIG issue that a lot of people struggle with, but it’s also a subject that is not comfortable to discuss. We talk about the causes of loneliness, the physical and spiritual effects, the idol and the brokenness of loneliness, and the Ultimate Cure.
the BROKENNESS OF LONELINESS
Loneliness. From singleness and feeling unchosen to choosing the wrong person to marry; from the hyperconnected world of technology yet the vapid illusion of friendship; from the fading of youth to the lonely rooms of convalescent hospitals; from the ministry of loneliness to the loneliness found in ministry; from the feeling of being unknown to being surrounded by millions of adoring fans and still feeling lonely.
Nothing satisfies, nothing fills that void, nothing satiates. No amount of food, shopping, alcohol, drugs, relationships, or fame seem to cure that loneliness or fill that void in your heart. Maybe temporarily, but that too is quickly fading and that dark looming cloud hovers over. Depression creeps in, slowly at first, until days, months, and even years have passed, and you realize you’re not who you used to be.
Your glow is gone. The sparkle in your eyes has faded. Skies are always gray. You don’t see in color. Tears fill your eyes, but nothing streams out. You long to close your eyes, to sleep, to escape to your dreams where that haunting affliction of loneliness no longer resides. You wake up.
Where do you run? Who do you turn to? What will fill that void?
GOD-SIZED VOID
The bitter root, the entangled weed, the crippling thorn of loneliness was birthed in the Garden of Eden when Adam & Eve chose to separate, to isolate, and to distant themselves from God through their disobedience.
But there is GOOD NEWS.
Loneliness may have crept in the Garden of Eden through sin, but the chains of loneliness were broken on the cross at Calvary! Jesus died and rose again to make you whole. You can come broken, but Jesus' blood won't allow you to stay broken. You can come with your chains, but His love will unchain all of your fears and doubts. You can come hurting, but His voice will bring you peace. Come as you are, but don't stay as you are. You are meant to rise above your challenges and circumstances and to find true freedom in Christ.
In our heart of hearts, we’re all looking to connect human-to-human. We are wired for connection, we are made to connect and be connected with, to know and be known, to love and be loved. But what we’re really longing for is a divine connection – God-to-human. God reaching down and touching our hearts as we reach back for Him touching His heart.
NOT GOOD FOR MAN TO BE ALONE
Adam, the first created man, had perfect communion in the garden with God, and yet God still deemed that it is “not good for the man to be alone…” (Genesis 2:18). If you’re feeling lonely and longing for a human connection, know that people, no matter how valuable and necessary they are, were never meant to be the source, God is. God is the source of all connection. Even when people may fail you, or leave you, God will never forsake you. He is always with you and wants to be with you even more than you want to be with Him. When all else fails, His Love never will. Find your source of strength in Him, and He will send the right people to fill your life, but your fulfillment must first be found in Him. When your fulfillment is first found in God, it is also important to take steps to join a Spirit-filled church family and to be proactive in building friendships and serving your community. Being surrounded by God-ordained friendships and divinely orchestrated meetings will present you with opportunities to not only be blessed, but to be a blessing to others. Serving others, looking to Jesus, and having the courage to be vulnerable, knowing that Jesus serves you with His comfort, looks to you for relationship, and was the most vulnerable hanging on the cross, will embolden you to start living fully alive and full of courage.
“God sets the lonely in families…” (Psalm 68:6).
YOU ARE NEVER ALONE
Know that you are never alone, and the Ultimate Cure for loneliness is found through relationship with Jesus Christ.
You now glow with the beauty of Jesus. He has restored that sweet sparkle in your eyes. The sun shines again. You now see in technicolor. Tears of joy now stream down your face. You close your eyes to pray, and you daily wake up with gratitude in your heart knowing that YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).