Acknowledge Your Loneliness

Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, . . . “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
–Matthew 27:46

Loneliness is natural, but it doesn’t have to be lethal. There is a way out of the shadow of loneliness. This week, I’m going to share the ABCs of moving from loneliness to companionship.

A stands for Acknowledge your feelings of loneliness. Don’t try to slap on a superficial smile or spout pious platitudes when they don’t fit. Be honest with yourself and with God about your feelings.

Throughout the psalms, David was honest about his feelings, including loneliness. For example, in Psalm 142:4, he wrote, “There is no one who regards me; there is no escape for me; no one cares for my soul.”

The apostle Paul also wrote about his feelings of isolation. In 2 Timothy, the last letter Paul wrote before his execution, he said to his protégé, “Make every effort to come to me soon” (4:9). Then Paul gave an honest assessment of his situation: “Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. . . . Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm” (vv. 10–11, 14). Alexander may have been the one who betrayed Paul to the Roman authorities. Paul wasn’t having a pity party here; he was being honest with Timothy about his isolation.

Jesus Himself admitted to loneliness. His family turned their backs on Him. One of His closest friends betrayed Him. When He was arrested, the other disciples deserted Him. But most painful of all, Jesus felt abandoned by God the Father. As Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). Have you ever felt like God isn’t hearing your prayers? That’s what Jesus experienced, and He cried out to God about the loneliness He was feeling.

If even the Son of God admitted to feeling alone, we shouldn’t be afraid to acknowledge our own feelings of loneliness. Whatever the cause of your loneliness, be honest with yourself and with God about how you feel.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “Moving from Loneliness to Companionship,” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2021.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.