Loneliness is a problem that we all face at one time or another. Ironically, many people live where crowds of people are all around us, yet they can still feel all alone.
There are valid reasons for loneliness.
For example, the death of a spouse, parent or child is a painful and difficult time. These are times that people are so grieved that they just can’t share what is going on within them.
Common life changes such as moving to a new house, or changing your vocation, or leaving for school where we don’t know anyone can trigger unhappiness with our circumstance. I know this feeling myself, having recently spent a year away from my wife, Joy, after being called to serve at a church in a new city.
Often, loneliness has nothing to do with how many people are around us.
Lonely people belong to churches and social organizations, but still feel unwanted and forsaken. I believe that loneliness something you feel…not because lack of people around, but a lack of connecting with people. A sense of not belonging brings about loneliness.
It takes strength to face our sadness. It takes strength to talk about our feelings and to reach out for help from others when we need it.
The question is…where do we find this strength?
In 1 Kings 19, we will find God’s cure for loneliness in a story about Elijah. In this section of Scripture, the whole nation of Israel had turned its back on God and Elijah stood apart and all alone. His concern was for his people and that they should be following God. In this example, Elijah was surrounded by a nation of people, but was totally alone.
No one shared his faith in God or stood for what he believed. In fact, we see that the Queen Jezebel had threatened his life and he ran away to a cave to be alone in the desert. And it was on Mount Horeb where he sought the voice of God, alone, depressed, wanting to die, and emotionally a wreck.
He is lonely:
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
At this point that Elijah has reestablished himself and his relationship with God.
In silence, alone, he is worshipping. The events around him didn’t change this relationship, even though he felt cut off from everybody, God still spoke to him. Always remember, God is there and He is listening. Giving him new instructions for his life, God used Elijah! The Bible tells us to fear not, since God will never leave us. This is the first key to dealing with loneliness and that is the rediscovery of God.
Then we see later in the chapter, that Elijah followed God’s instructions to him:
19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” 21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
For many years, Elisha and Elijah were companions and they were inseparable. Unlike the rest of the nation, they were like-minded and loved the same God. They not only shared their faith, as both were men of prayer, they shared a calling as both were prophets. They had a sense of belonging to one another.
God’s cure included giving Elijah a life companion.
The next part of God’s cure was that he gave Elijah work to do. We see this starting in verse 15 of the same chapter:
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
God has repaired Elijah and he is sending him out to do work.
Here is God’s cure for loneliness:
- Reaffirm that He is an ever-present God in your life. And you can enjoy His companionship anytime that you like. The comfort of God’s presence is a reality to believers.
- Find like-minded friends. We love and walk with God, but he has created us in such a way that we love and need human companionship.
- We have God’s work to do while here on earth. Keep busy, so that you don’t sit in your house and waste away in self-pity and doubt. Find something to do that glorifies your Creator and Savior and right now is the time to do it!
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