Loneliness

<<being alone, isolation>>

In the garden of Eden, God said it was not good for man to be a solitary being, but he needed company to express his personality and share his life with (Gen 2:18). We need to build strong friendships with others so they can support us in our trials and in turn can help carry their burdens when they are down and needing a lift (Gal 6:2). Give to others the friendship and love you crave – sow what you desire to reap (Prov 12:26, 17:17, 18:24; Amos 3:3; Gal 6:7). Don't expect others to reach out to you all the time. Take the initiative and extend the invitation, practice hospitality. Jesus said, by inviting a stranger in you did it as unto Him and some have been gloriously surprised by the company and the outcome (Mt 25:38,40; Heb 13:2). We can all experience discouragement with feelings of loneliness and isolation, even in a crowd, when there is little inter-reaction.

The Holy Spirit is termed the comforter – the one who comes and will be with us forever (Jn 14:16). Even if our friends misunderstand and leave us or can’t meet our need, God has said He will never leave us (Heb 13:5). Seek

Christ is always with us – Hebrews 13:5

His comfort and companionship, speaking honestly about how you feel; after all He already knows.

Elijah complained to God that he was the only faithful follower left, but God said there were another 7000 as well (1 Kgs 19:10,18). When a person is down emotionally they can’t think logically, self-pity and feelings of inferiority distort the true picture and, in depression, they may be tempted to give up. Because their perspective is warped, Satan has control of their mind and they lack purpose and direction. Leaders often feel alone thus it is essential for them to network with other pastors and groups to keep accountable and encourage one another.