Look At All The Lonely People
Ron is about to begin his last year at Murphy High. He's a starter on the football team. He has a bunch of friends--even a girlfriend. On top of everything, he's a Christian. But believe it or not, Ron still feels lonely sometimes:
"I don't know . . . it's hard to explain. I mean, I can find people to do stuff with, but nobody is willing to take the time to listen to what I think. Nobody really understands me. I guess you could say I just don't feel very important."
Look It Up~ Loneliness is something all people feel some of the time, and some people feel all of the time. Even some prominent Bible characters wrestled with that awful dilemma of feeling cut off and isolated.
King David:
Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I am a dread to my friends-
those who see me on the street flee from me.
I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery
Psalm 31:11-12.
Job: Job 19:13-14.
The apostle Paul: "At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me" 2 Timothy 4:16.
Think It Through~ Let's correct a common misconception: It isn't just homeless people or society's outcasts who feel the sting of loneliness. Albert Einstein reportedly once told a friend, " It is strange to be known so universally and yet be so lonely." And despite being one of the richest men in America, Howard Hughes spent the last 20 years of his life in almost total seclusion.
Work It Out~ You live in a world filled with lonely people (you may even be one yourself). If you're lonely, here's a prayer you can pray right now:
"Father in heaven, I need you right now. Give me insight as I read your Word. Fill my loneliness with your life. Then use me to bring comfort to other people who face lives of 'solitary confinement.'"
Nail It Down~ Read and think about the implications of Genesis 2:18.
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