you minimize, you utilize, you recognize and then you emphasize, you emphasize others’ needs. that’s the fourth antidote to
loneliness. focus outward, on other
people. get your eyes off yourself. quit having a pity party. look at other people.
first paul in 2 timothy 4.17 said, the LORD stood at my side and gave me strength so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it. that was paul’s life goal to the end, even when he was dying in loneliness, he wanted other people to know about JESUS. he focused on others. he wanted everybody to know about GOD’s love. he wanted all to know the good news. he stopped looking at himself and he looked at what he could do to help other people.
in other words, stop building walls and start building bridges. when you’re lonely.... stop building walls – “i’m so lonely. everybody hates me. nobody loves me. i’m going to go eat worms!” start building bridges.
instead of complaining, instead of paul saying, “i’m so lonely. is this the way i end my thirty years of ministry?”, paul says, “let me help others.”
so instead of saying, “i’m so lonely” you ought to say, “FATHER, help me to be a friend to people who need a friend. help me to help lonely people.” giving love is the antidote to loneliness. love is the antidote to loneliness.
many years ago corrie tenn boom, who wrote the book the hiding place, went through a difficult time in her life. she was engaged to be married to a man. the man broke off the engagement and married her best friend. corrie was devastated. it broke her heart! she was lonely. her dad said something very profound, “you’ve had a love that’s been blocked. there are two things that you can do with a blocked love. number one, you can dam it up inside of you and hold on to it and be miserable the rest of your life. you can dam it up inside or you can rechannel that blocked love. refocus it on someone else. give it away. help others. give your love to those who need it.”
i think about couples who are dying to have a child and can’t for physical or other reasons. they’d give anything to have children. i think GOD wants to say, “rechannel that love. refocus it. there are kids all over the world who need love, that are already here.” rechannel a blocked love.
just a thought from the front porch…
first paul in 2 timothy 4.17 said, the LORD stood at my side and gave me strength so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it. that was paul’s life goal to the end, even when he was dying in loneliness, he wanted other people to know about JESUS. he focused on others. he wanted everybody to know about GOD’s love. he wanted all to know the good news. he stopped looking at himself and he looked at what he could do to help other people.
in other words, stop building walls and start building bridges. when you’re lonely.... stop building walls – “i’m so lonely. everybody hates me. nobody loves me. i’m going to go eat worms!” start building bridges.
instead of complaining, instead of paul saying, “i’m so lonely. is this the way i end my thirty years of ministry?”, paul says, “let me help others.”
so instead of saying, “i’m so lonely” you ought to say, “FATHER, help me to be a friend to people who need a friend. help me to help lonely people.” giving love is the antidote to loneliness. love is the antidote to loneliness.
many years ago corrie tenn boom, who wrote the book the hiding place, went through a difficult time in her life. she was engaged to be married to a man. the man broke off the engagement and married her best friend. corrie was devastated. it broke her heart! she was lonely. her dad said something very profound, “you’ve had a love that’s been blocked. there are two things that you can do with a blocked love. number one, you can dam it up inside of you and hold on to it and be miserable the rest of your life. you can dam it up inside or you can rechannel that blocked love. refocus it on someone else. give it away. help others. give your love to those who need it.”
i think about couples who are dying to have a child and can’t for physical or other reasons. they’d give anything to have children. i think GOD wants to say, “rechannel that love. refocus it. there are kids all over the world who need love, that are already here.” rechannel a blocked love.
just a thought from the front porch…
2 comments:
Jack Van Impe's wife Rexella would give a great big high 5 to this post as she was unable to have children but did not allow this to bring her down..she has been surrounded by many many children.
fantastic. thanks
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