Scripture: Luke 5:16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Devotional: There’s a huge difference between loneliness and being alone. In fact, sometimes the loneliest times we have actually happen when we are with a crowd. I remember, after going through an extremely painful season of life, how I would feel most lonely when I was with others at public events, but was very content and peace filled when I was at home alone.
Jesus knew the pain of loneliness when He gave himself to die upon the cross. But throughout His life, He demonstrated the secret to not feeling alone: time spent in quiet places with His heavenly Father. It’s ironic, when you think about it, that the remedy for loneliness is being alone. Jesus sought out lonely places, because there He found the community He was created for, community with God. He found he was and is never alone. The same is true for you.
The problem is, too often, when we experience the pain of loneliness, we naturally respond by trying to avoid it. Which often leads to all kinds of ways to mask it: surfing social media, binge watching Netflix, anesthetizing with alcohol or drugs, to name a few. There are plentiful ways to avoid facing the void that causes the loneliness. And so we dig the hole deeper, rather than gaining understanding to the cause of our pain.
The sure cure for loneliness is to face it head on. Get alone, and seek the only comfort that will do – God’s presence.
Reflect:
- What do you most often do to combat loneliness? How does that work in the long run?
- Try being still before God, and asking Him to reveal to you the true source of your loneliness.
