It Is Not Good For Us To Be Lonely

Dec 12

Loneliness is a painful sense of not having a close connection to others. As a result, there is emotional distance (recognized or not) and at least some awareness of not really being understood. Loneliness can be brief or habitual, known or unknown through busyness.

What are some of the possible negative effects of loneliness? Depression can easily be a result of loneliness (1 Ki 19:10). The same could also be true of feeling hopeless, becoming self-absorbed, or developing an addiction to deal with our negative feelings. We might also develop physical health issues or have so few opportunities to give and receive love that people become less important than things.

What can we do if we are lonely? First, we could improve our self-image. If we see ourselves as the Lord does, we will know we belong to Him, are competent in Him to do all He has called us to do, and are of such value that God the Father sent His Son to die for us. This will greatly help us to seek out connection with others. Second, we would do well to develop a better way of thinking. Just changing a few ways of thinking can have many positive results. One example would be ‘I need to be loved by that person’ becomes ‘I would like to be loved by that person.’ We can start to think that taking risks and being hurt is worth it as that is how our character develops (Prov 27:17). Third, we could cultivate better social skills. Some of these skills could be things like dressing more appropriately, losing weight if that is necessary, becoming a better listener, smiling more frequently, and enhancing our knowledge in an area that can give us more to talk about. Fourth, it would be valuable to get close to even just one safe person who would be loyal and helpful (Prov 18:24). Fifth, we need to remember that the Lord requires us to give and receive love (Eph 4:2) even though there is always a risk of being hurt or rejected. Sixth, we should always keep in mind that God Himself is our friend if we have Christ as our Lord and Savior (Jn 16:7). Enjoying God as our friend means that even when we have no other mere human near us, we need not suffer from loneliness.

Featured