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Volume. XVIII, No. 31 The Blessedness of Loneliness (edited)Loneliness can be one of life's saddest experiences, or one of its richest. Lonely hours can be wasted on self-pity or made to glow with the blessed presence of God. Someone said: "Man is the greatest marvel in the universe. Not because his heart beats 40,000,000 times a year, driving the bloodstream a distance of over 60,000 miles in that time. Not because of the wonderful mechanism of eye and ear. Not because of his conquest over disease, and the lengthening of human life. Not because of the unique qualities of his mind. But because he may walk and talk with God." There is pain in loneliness. The shut-in, the widow, the orphan, the bereaved one who has no family or near relative for companionship suffers a hurt that is very real, and needs the healing balm of Christian friendship. But their greatest need, actually, is to discover that Christ can fill the vacuum, and that God may have put them in lonely circumstances to make room in their lives for His own dear presence. It is in the absence of human companions or earthly interests the heart can talk with God and learn of heavenly things. Not until Jacob "was left alone" did the angel come and transform him into an overcomer. Not until Joseph spent lonely years in prison was he prepared to become prime minister of Egypt. Moses became a spiritual leader not in the busy years in Pharoah's court but in the lonely years in quiet Midian. And the same is true of New Testament characters too. John received his revelations on lonely Patmos, and Paul deep in Arabia. Even our Lord Jesus had to endure a loneliness of spirit such as we shall never know. Often he departed into a mountain to pray. He spent whole nights in prayer with none but the Father near. A Christian writer once said: "God has put each in a separate body. We should follow the divine hint, and not lapse into the general flood of being. Many people cannot endure being alone; they are lost unless there is a clatter of tongues in their ears. This is not only weak, but it fosters weakness. The gregarious instinct is animal; to be alone is spiritual. We can have no clear, personal judgment of things till we are somewhat separate from them." Everyone needs a quiet time each day when he can be alone with God. The fellowship of others, even Christians, cannot fully satisfy. The advice we get from others is not enough. We need personal communion with Christ. Be glad if you feel the pain of loneliness. It is a small price to pay for a personal revelation with God. Author unknown. |
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