Loneliness

Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” – Matthew 8:22

Loneliness is an awful thing. As humans, we carry an instinctive desire to have others around us. This is part of who we are. Many times we are forced into loneliness through circumstances which we have no control. Perhaps a spouse dies or a maybe we have had a disagreement where others push us to the side. Sometimes our beliefs set us aside. Regardless of how the separation occurs, no one likes to be completely alone.

When we spend too much time alone, the consequence takes its toll. We lose our social skills – our communication lacks, we become awkward and uncomfortable in a group. Worse yet, we tend to stop leaning on others for any type of companionship – not a place we want or need to be.

When I think of someone who was truly lonely, I think of Howard Hughes. Most would call him eccentric, and though that was true to a great extent, one could not deny his eccentricities forced him into a very lonely lifestyle. To have wealth and power, but to still have no one to share life’s quiet moments with must have been a terrible thing.

Jesus told his followers that He had no place to lay his head. Even surrounded by His disciples and the thousands who followed His teaching, He never felt as though He had a place He could call His own. There was a sense of loneliness that encircled Him. Perhaps because He knew what lay ahead for Him or maybe it was a form of protection until His time came. One way or the other Jesus felt loneliness.

The amazing thing was Christ never allowed that feeling to overwhelm Him or get in the way of His service. He continued forward, preaching and teaching. He had moments of joy, and times He felt successful in His mission, but still in the background loomed that sense of being alone. Only Jesus could have died on the cross and saved us from our sins. In that respect, He was alone. Only the Son of Man could have risen from the dead in victory. One thing is for sure, Christ never took His eyes off the Father. When He hung, abandoned on the cross, He still looked to heaven and called to His Father. He was an unfaltering example of love, strength, and forgiveness.

When we feel alone the quickest way to find peace is to look to the Father. There is a fulfilling essence about God that erases the sadness of being alone – one that takes us to a place of peacefulness. Reach out to the Father and embrace all that He is to us. Allow Him to fill the emptiness of your spirit to a point of overflowing joy. This is the great advantage of knowing Christ. Within Him, there is peace.

Prayer: Father, Help us to remember that Your grace is sufficient for us. Fill us with Your grace and love.