Loneliness and Christianity

As a single Christian woman, I find myself repeatedly fighting loneliness. I don’t have many friends as some people do. As a result, more often than not, I find myself completely alone.

I must remind myself that I have a Father in heaven that loves me for who I am, not for how many friends I have. (1 John 4:16) “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

Loneliness is a real issue for all people, not just Christians. It can eat away at you like some sort of disease if you allow it. I’m learning to find peace in my own solitude. I even find moments of happiness when I go to the movies on my own. I did this for the first time recently. I thought of this scripture. Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

I spend oodles of time alone. Some days I enjoy my own company, other days it can be quite isolating where I have periods of feeling lost and lonely. Days like this, it can be hard work to turn to scripture. But if I can motivate myself to read the Word, it lifts me out of the pit. Joshua 1:9 encourages us “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Being a Christian can be a lonely way of life. The straight and narrow isn’t easy, it requires self-sacrifice. But Jesus promises us, the reward is great. (Jeremiah 29:11)  ^“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

When Jesus wanted to pray, he withdrew to lonely places (Luke 5:16). Jesus must have had many instances of feeling lonely and downtrodden. Take Isaiah 53:3 as a good example “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

In the beginning, God created two people, Adam and Eve. God said it wasn’t good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). But today, due to things out of our control, people end up alone. Separation, divorce, bereavement, and the death of a loved one all contribute to the pangs of loneliness.

Social media is another culprit that adds to our segregation. We are not meant to spend our days all alone sitting on a computer talking to others as if they were in the room. God created us to mingle and mix in real life, not on a phone or computer.

Friendship can be a lifesaver to us all. Even having one person we can call a friend, can lift us out of the feelings of desolation. Jesus had friends, his disciples. Scripture points out the benefits of friendship. (Proverbs 18:24) “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

But if you don’t have friends, you still have Jesus. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He wants the very best for you. He is always there ready to listen to whatever it is that is bringing you down. He wants a friendship with you. That’s why Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ, not a religion.

We don’t need to suffer alone. We also have the Word of God encouraging us to realise there is hope in loss, there is beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3) and there is a God that can fulfill our needs. If we just take a little time out of our day to spend time with God and talk to Him. He will listen. He wants to hear our prayers regardless of how we are feeling.

Jesus our King is the author of love. He is our comforter through the many trials and tribulations that are thrown our way. Life happens to us all. Nobody is immune. (Matt 5:45) “The rain falls on the just and the unjust”

How do we battle loneliness when we are faced with such regular isolation? One thing that has helped me is being involved in helping others. When I can help someone, it lifts my spirit. I feel like I have done something worthwhile and the loneliness is eased. It’s also biblical to comfort others. (Luke 6:38) “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Galatians 6:2) “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Rest assured, in this life, we will face periods of seclusion. But if we put our hope in Jesus Christ, we can sail the storms of loneliness with our anchor in Him. (Romans 12:12) “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”