Curbing the Cravings of Loneliness
I love God.
No. Really. I do.
It's not a perfect love, but it's perfect for me.
His love for me, other hand, is absolutely perfect and perfect for me at the same time.
The more I stick with him,
talk to him,
read with him,
cry with him,
the more perfect his love for me becomes.
What I need, it is.
When I need, it's there.
Who could ask for more?
So... why I am lonely?
Not all the time, but often enough to notice and sometimes for a season.
But I love God. I do.
Can I be lonely and be Christian?
If you have already accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, great. This is for you. No? Then come along for the ride. You might need this one day.
Liar...
Given that that I'm a nerdy writer chick at heart, it's not a far stretch to see me as a Trekker. In recent years, the various Star Trek installments have become a great escape for me. One of the products I have recently enjoyed is Short Treks, mini episodes designed to give greater context to certain plot elements in the concurrently running series.
My all-time favorite short trek is Calypso. It's about an injured escaped soldier taken in and care for by a deserted AI starship waiting in deep space to receive her next assignment. But as in timeless Trek tradition, there is so much more to the story.
The AI ship, Zora, has evolved to experience the unexpected... loneliness.
"How long have you been out her, alone, waiting for the crew to return from wherever they went?", asks the soldier.
Zora responds: "Almost a thousand years. I spent most of it evolving myself. Honestly, it was nice to have some alone time."
"Liar.", he replies.
No matter how long or short the season, loneliness can feel like a thousand years.
Feeling sanctified or still calling yourself a sinner, loneliness can feel like a thousand years.
Sometimes, it takes learning how to be perfectly lonely just so God can show you what being perfectly loved feels like. ~Unknown
Still Hungry?
As a part of Christ's preparation for the isolation of the Cross, he left someone special behind for us. The Comforter:
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive... ~John 14:16-17a, Amplified Bible
The Comforter is here, but He cannot comfort what we won't confront.
Because we are made of flesh, the cravings of the same are always with us. God designed our flesh to desire friendship, companionship. Love. Claiming never get lonely because you are a Christian is to minimize the gift of our humanity so let's walk in the Spirit of Truth.
Our Savior got lonely, and so will we.
Church folk,
saved folk,
Jesus people get lonely but we can also curb the craving.
Curb the Craving
Loneliness in its most basic form is a craving, one that should not be ignored less we do damage trying to satisfy it. But your Christ and mine left us a solution, someone to help us navigate the deep space of loneliness.
The Holy Spirit:
... the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you. ~John 14:17 AMP
The discomfort of loneliness can poison our perspective of God if we let it. It will convince us that loneliness is a sign that Heaven has abandoned us. But like with any good friend, you must also show yourself friendly. Opting for temporal, sinful alternatives in the flesh rather than surrendering all, even the discomfort of loneliness, to the Holy Spirit positions us for greater isolation and discomfort.
What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature. For what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants. These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do. ~Galatians 5:16-17, Good News Translation
I said this in a previous blog recently, but it still rings true today. God is a safe place to be.
My help and glory are in God —granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—So trust him absolutely, people; lay your lives on the line for him. God is a safe place to be. ~Psalms 62:7-8, the Message Bible
Child of God, I will not say you won't get lonely. We all do. In fact, there will be seasons in your divine assignment where you encounter some of the most isolating experiences in your life. But God is still a safe place to be, the safest place to be. Better than any temporary high or euphoric moments sin tries to feed you.
Loneliness Doesn't Mean You're Alone
Only a love of Christ and sweet communion with the Holy Spirit can curb the cravings of loneliness.
Jesus leaving the Holy Spirit behind to comfort, keep and equip us to handle loneliness is just another example of his absolutely perfect love. And the more we
stick with him,
talk to him,
read with him,
cry with him,
the more perfect his love becomes.
What we need, it is.
When we need, it's there.
Who could ask for more?
Let the Holy Spirit navigate your loneliness, and you will never walk alone.
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