Lately, my husband and I have been discussing the power of loneliness. We have realized that we should not underestimate it. Loneliness is a powerful emotion and it has nothing to do with the people around you. Loneliness seeks to make a connection with companionship but does not know how to go about it. It is a feeling you can experience even when you are in a room full of people. There are times when we may want to be alone but being lonely is one feeling most people do not want to experience.
Psychology Today says, “Loneliness can take root deeply within you.” It also says that it can feel like “pain emanating from an emptiness in your chest.” And that, “It is a symptom of your severed connection from humanity.” This leads us to understand that we should not take this emotion lightly. If you don’t feel connected to your fellow men, your self-esteem and self-worth will be dramatically impacted. In addition, it also demonstrates that this emotion can take on some physical attributes that may adversely impact your health.
A person who is lonely will usually suffer in silence because isolation is one of its symptoms. Loneliness can lead a person to fill the void through other means such as excessive sleeping, shopping, or other compulsive behaviors. People who experience loneliness will put themselves down and be overly critical of themselves. They may isolate themselves instead of reaching out to others. Loneliness makes you vulnerable and may cause you to reach out to the wrong person or thing to fulfill your need for companionship, instead of seeking healthy and mutually respectful relationships.
Whereas loneliness can cause some people to isolate themselves, it may be hard to detect loneliness in others because they may behave just the opposite. They may laugh, joke, and always seem to be having a great time, while inwardly they struggle with feelings of inadequacy and disconnection from others.
Reading an article in the Huffington Post about loneliness, it explains that people who suffer from loneliness will believe that if they let others know they are lonely, it would “scare them away.” Because of this, they seek people who, much like themselves, are also experiencing loneliness and the insecurity that comes along with it, so they are not a help to each other.
The Bible gives us several scriptures that reassure us that although we may feel that we are all alone and no one cares, there is someone that is always with us and will never abandon us – and that is our Lord. Psalms 95:1 says, “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” The Lord is always there to extend a hand to us and carry us through our difficult times. Loneliness is a powerful emotion that we should not underestimate or take lightly. If we experience it or know of others who are in the midst of this powerful emotion, we should lend our support and remind them and ourselves that there are always people who love and care about us. We should reach out to them for reassurance. And most of all, we should turn to the Lord who will uphold us.