(ThyBlackMan.com) Loneliness I believe is one of the enemies greatest weapons used to turn people away from God. It magnifies all other elements of negativity. It makes hurt, hurt more, it makes envy grow and it makes you forget all the promise that God has given you in your life and the promises that He has in store for you.
As I am right now battling with loneliness I seem to be acquiring a lot of hands on experience. Seems like I have been battling with it on and off most of my life. As an only child I have felt the pangs and sting of being “lonely” early on and have had to in my earlier life come up with ways to “cope”. Learning to entertain myself, writing, listening to music and when I was a child, learning to play the games that require 4 players or more by myself or with invisible friends are just some of the ways I had come up with to deal with the feelings of loneliness. 
As an adult confronted with adult issues, my ways of coping with loneliness have varied depending on what was going on in my life at the time. I have, for sure done some things that I am not proud of in attempts to shake off the specter of loneliness. Many of which have instead of helping the situation, they have made it much worse or introduced negative elements and people into my life which of course is the last thing I need.
As an adult follower of Christ, I can say that I have made steps closer to God in my efforts to deal with the feelings of loneliness that I have had to deal with due to the situations and circumstances that I am going through at any given moment. One of my more memorable ones was getting baptized and renewing my commitment to Christ.
I would like to say that my struggles with loneliness ended there but that was just the beginning. While I can recite and recall several bible verses on being lonely or that even mention it, have been struggling with dealing with feeling lonely and it has been I feel the biggest distraction in my progress and my walk with God.
Turn to me and be gracious to me for I am Lonely and afflicted. – Psalm 25:16
One thing I can say is that my struggles with loneliness have had the side benefit of teaching me exactly what KIND of people to stay away from.
Scorn has broken my heart and left me helpless; I looked for sympathy but there was none, for comforters but there was none. Psalm 69:20
Looking for love in all the wrong places….who knew?
I have learned more about people and the lies that they will tell in their own selfish interests and desires and have been able to through God’s mercy and grace steer clear of these kinds of people for the most part. It is just interesting to see how someone will, like Satan – tell you all kinds of lies and say all the things they think you want to hear, in an effort to get you to do what they want to do. Kind of like Satan being made manifest in the flesh. Hmmm interesting…
The spirit in me still strives to seek a closer connection to God and to keep my focus on him. As I am still human, this is still a battle. But I am bound in my spirit and heart to keep striving towards God….
For those who know your name, will trust in you, for you Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. -Psalm 9:10
At the end of the day Loneliness itself is a lie:
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matt 28:20
Staff Writer; Alinda Pete
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