Q: How can I cope with the extreme loneliness that I feel?
A: If you’re lonely, you’re not alone! Many people today are lonely, especially in cities, where life has been aptly described as “millions of people being lonesome together.” Just living in the middle of a lot of people won’t necessarily relieve loneliness, because loneliness comes from being insulated from others, not only isolated. And sad to say, it is often self-inflicted. People build walls around themselves instead of bridges.
So what is the “cure” for loneliness? Loving others! Consider this true story:
There once was a very lonely woman who was always seeking a new lover, but never finding one that satisfied or lasted or that relieved her loneliness. Why? Because she was always seeking to get love, to be loved! Then one day a friend suggested that perhaps she needed to learn to give love unselfishly for the benefit of another. After years of searching, this thought struck the woman as an entirely new idea! She went out and tried to find someone to make them happy, and soon found what she had been looking for all the time–true love!
So that’s the key, the simple solution to loneliness: If you give love, you’ll get love! If you’re sincerely concerned about others and show them love, they’ll be concerned about you and show you love. As Christians we can also share with others the love of all loves from the Lover of all lovers, Jesus Himself, who alone can satisfy that deepest yearning of every human heart for total love and complete understanding.
Jesus even satisfies that empty, lonely feeling that we all sometimes feel, no matter how many friends or loved ones surround us. The Lord has created a special place in our hearts that only He can fill. Although the body is of this earth and is satisfied with the things of this earth, the human spirit, that intangible personality of the real you that dwells in that body, can never be completely satisfied with anything but utter union with the great and loving Spirit who created it.
Jesus wants us to love and be close to others, but first He wants to fill that aching void with His own love. Even when we have someone dear and close to us physically, there will always be that certain deep feeling inside that can only be satisfied by giving Him our whole heart and drawing close to Him!