ARE YOU LONELY?

‘…We’re all connected to each other…’
Ephesians 4:25

In the first chapters of Genesis we read, ‘And God saw that it was good.’ That is, until He created Adam. Then God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone…’ (Genesis 2:18 NIV). Adam was enjoying a great relationship with God, but because he didn’t have a human companion, God said it wasn’t a good thing.

God designed you with two voids. One is a void only He Himself can fill. The other is a void only the right people can fill. And you can’t fill either void with things like jobs, houses, cars or money. You say, ‘What should I do?’

1) Keep your eyes open. Today one in five relationships begins on the Internet. But there’s a built-in danger there; you can be anybody you want to be on the Internet, yet not be known and loved for the person you really are. Furthermore, loneliness can blind you to your own true needs and another person’s lack of character.

2) Pray about it. When Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, was sent to find a wife for Isaac he prayed, ‘O Lord…give me success today…’ (Genesis 24 NIV). And God did. Isaac and Rebekah became one of the great love stories of the Bible.

3) Reach out to others. That may mean taking down the wall you’ve been hiding behind and building a bridge. The Bible says, ‘Do not be interested only in your own life…be interested in…others’ (Philippians 2:4 NCV). There are no perfect relationships, or risk-free ones. It’s in finding an unmet need and pouring yourself into it that you conquer loneliness and discover a new joy in living.

written by Bob Gass