Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.
Psalm 25:16-17
for I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.
Psalm 25:16-17
Lonliness is really a universal sickness. Some may experience loneliness in more accute and long-lasting ways, but everyone knows the feeling and can relate to the feelings of isolation, unworthiness, and depression. As the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 25, lonliness can lead to anguish, even physical pain. According to Wikipedia, "In 2005, results from the U.S. Framingham Heart Study demonstrated that lonely men had raised levels of IL-6, a blood chemical linked to heart disease. A 2006 study conducted by the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience at the University of Chicago found loneliness can add 30 points to a blood pressure reading for adults over the age of 50. "
Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.
-Mother Theresa
My own experience suggests that lonliness and being alone aren't always related. I've been by myself many times and felt loved and accepted and really not alone, knowing that God was present with me. At other times, I've been surrounded by people and emersed in a crowd and felt deep, unsettling, and physically awkward moments of lonliness. Can you relate to these experiences.
First, the Psalmists are some of our best models for pray-ers. These folks didn't just pray before meals or when someone was in the hospital. They prayed anywhere and everywhere and for whatever reason. They prayed when they were in love with God and feeling closely connected to him. They prayed when they were angry with God and wondering where He had gone. They prayed when they were thankful, tired, scared, lonely, hopeful, and depressed. They prayed about their longings, the things that they dreamed about, hoped for and desired for their lives. They prayed about their sins, asking for mercy and forgiveness; requesting that God cleanse their minds and hearts from the darkness that their sins had created. They knew that God was big enough to hear whatever they were thinkng and feeling and they didn't feel awkward about telling him; they didn't hold back. So, their example to us in the midst of our lonliness, is to simply pray; go to God with all of who you are and everything you think and feel and leave your inhibitions at the door...enter in and just talk as you would with a trusted Friend who knows your history, your personality, your hopes and dreams and fears and longings.
Second, the reality of lonliness and the presence of it within us and all around us ought to inspire us to be honest about it with one another; telling one another the truth and allowing others to come to our aid. It might also inspire us to serve one another with a greater sense of gentleness. It's very likely that we need each other more than we realize. What would it look like for a community to begin looking out for one another and seeking to heal one another from the wounds and pains of our lonliness.
May it be with us as it was for them.
Loneliness is the worst pain in this world. It constantly eats away the person's heart, and can cause the person to hate, to feel enraged--the same rage and hate that can cause one person to kill another. It is like a wound of the heart; the type of wounds that cannot go away with a kiss or a hug. The only thing that can make this great pain go away is love and compassion, another human heart to pull them out of this hell.Yesterday, we talked about two things you might try to live out as it relates to all of this: pray and love. Sounds simple right?
-Princess Diana of Wales
First, the Psalmists are some of our best models for pray-ers. These folks didn't just pray before meals or when someone was in the hospital. They prayed anywhere and everywhere and for whatever reason. They prayed when they were in love with God and feeling closely connected to him. They prayed when they were angry with God and wondering where He had gone. They prayed when they were thankful, tired, scared, lonely, hopeful, and depressed. They prayed about their longings, the things that they dreamed about, hoped for and desired for their lives. They prayed about their sins, asking for mercy and forgiveness; requesting that God cleanse their minds and hearts from the darkness that their sins had created. They knew that God was big enough to hear whatever they were thinkng and feeling and they didn't feel awkward about telling him; they didn't hold back. So, their example to us in the midst of our lonliness, is to simply pray; go to God with all of who you are and everything you think and feel and leave your inhibitions at the door...enter in and just talk as you would with a trusted Friend who knows your history, your personality, your hopes and dreams and fears and longings.
Second, the reality of lonliness and the presence of it within us and all around us ought to inspire us to be honest about it with one another; telling one another the truth and allowing others to come to our aid. It might also inspire us to serve one another with a greater sense of gentleness. It's very likely that we need each other more than we realize. What would it look like for a community to begin looking out for one another and seeking to heal one another from the wounds and pains of our lonliness.
"They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's Supper and in prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity-- all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved." (Acts 2:42-47)The early church experienced community as it was designed! It says that they met together in one another's homes daily which means they knew how much they needed one another. It says that they ate together which means they knew a good home cooked meal when they saw one. In the NIV, it says they had "glad and sincere hearts" which suggests to me that they laughed a bit when together. And it says they sold what they had and took care of each other's needs. This seems radically ordinary. It's not like it's rocket science...it's just people who saw the importance of being together and taking care of one another. I doubt many of them went lonely for long before someone was going out of their way to befriend, love, and pray for them.
May it be with us as it was for them.
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