The Illusion of Lonliness (Reposted from BDF)

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J

JairCrawford

Senior Member
#1
Oct 31, 2017
107
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#1
I posted this in the BDF a few weeks ago, but realized it would probably be more appropriate here.

Why do we tend, as Christians, to buy into the illusion that we are alone? It's a question I've asked myself, often.

When we are saved, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside of us. We are NEVER alone after this point. The Holy Spirit is God, and just as much a Person Who desires an intimate relationship with us.

Why do I talk to myself, or think to myself, when my Best Friend is always with me? That was a revelation I had over the past year. It puts a whole new perspective on "pray without ceasing".

Let this revelation be an encouragement to us during this 'waiting season'. It is possible for us to be at peace while we wait.

Thoughts? Comments?


 
Magenta

Magenta

Senior Member
#2
Jul 3, 2015
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#2
We are called to be in fellowship with others. For some that means a deeper more intimate connection that leads to marriage and family making, a dream of many who remain single.
 
J

JairCrawford

Senior Member
#3
Oct 31, 2017
107
6
0
#3
Magenta said:
We are called to be in fellowship with others. For some that means a deeper more intimate connection that leads to marriage and family making, a dream of many who remain single.
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Well of course! God did create Adam AND Eve, of course.

By no means am I saying that romantic relationships are unnecessary. Far from it. But simply in our search and our longing for such, let us not miss out on something greater that God desires for all of us, and that is deep intimacy with Him.
 
R

Rachel20

Senior Member
#4
May 7, 2013
1,639
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#4
Loneliness is not an illusion. It is a state of mind/a feeling.

You can feel lonely in a crowd.

Forming meaningful social connections - friends, family and loved ones is vital and this has nothing to do with being married or single. You can be married and be lonely in it.

We are called to fellowship with one another. Even God said it is not good for man to be alone. It is amazing if you don't feel loneliness even when you are alone - but a lot of people do and it is not an illusion.

Loneliness has been associated with poor mental health and decreasing the quality of life for many people.

It does require effort and courage to step out of one's comfort zone and reach out to a fellow human being. Many people sit cloistered, fearing rejection and setting barriers to keep everyone out.
There are too many excuses to bar a person from reaching out to someone - but sometimes all it takes is to look them in the eye and ask them how they are. To have a friend, you must be a friend.

There are people who spend their lives online, rarely stepping out of their houses and managing to be reclusive. While some are satisfied with that amount of interaction, research has shown a connection between time spent on social media and a person's perceived sense of social isolation.

It seems nice to tell someone spiritually they are never alone, that intimacy with God was far greater than anything and more than enough but not everyone is called to be a monk. It is like having your head in the clouds.

God sets the solitary in families. It is God's command to love one another. It takes courage and faith to be vulnerable in front of others, and more people need that push to step into who they are called to be, rather than being told it is just an illusion and they are okay the way they are.
 
J

JairCrawford

Senior Member
#5
Oct 31, 2017
107
6
0
#5
Rachel20 said:
Loneliness is not an illusion. It is a state of mind/a feeling.

You can feel lonely in a crowd.

Forming meaningful social connections - friends, family and loved ones is vital and this has nothing to do with being married or single. You can be married and be lonely in it.

We are called to fellowship with one another. Even God said it is not good for man to be alone. It is amazing if you don't feel loneliness even when you are alone - but a lot of people do and it is not an illusion.

Loneliness has been associated with poor mental health and decreasing the quality of life for many people.

It does require effort and courage to step out of one's comfort zone and reach out to a fellow human being. Many people sit cloistered, fearing rejection and setting barriers to keep everyone out.
There are too many excuses to bar a person from reaching out to someone - but sometimes all it takes is to look them in the eye and ask them how they are. To have a friend, you must be a friend.

There are people who spend their lives online, rarely stepping out of their houses and managing to be reclusive. While some are satisfied with that amount of interaction, research has shown a connection between time spent on social media and a person's perceived sense of social isolation.

It seems nice to tell someone spiritually they are never alone, that intimacy with God was far greater than anything and more than enough but not everyone is called to be a monk. It is like having your head in the clouds.

God sets the solitary in families. It is God's command to love one another. It takes courage and faith to be vulnerable in front of others, and more people need that push to step into who they are called to be, rather than being told it is just an illusion and they are okay the way they are.
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You make very many great points here. Perhaps I should have re-worded the title of the thread to be called "The Illusion of Being Alone".
 
J

JairCrawford

Senior Member
#6
Oct 31, 2017
107
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#6
This is not me advocating reclusiveness at all. Also, it's a bit difficult to relay the depth of my personal experience with this revelation I had personally just typing.

This is not a typical cheesy pat-on-the-back "Just remember, God is always with you my dear" kind of thing. No no far from it. It hit me like a freight train. I was like, "Oh... wow! Wow wow wow wow! Why do I talk to myself when I have Him with me to talk to always? WOW I am never alone! Like what????"

It was pretty intense. Like, I always 'knew' I was never alone, but now, I REALLY know I'm never alone. It's hard to explain. And I am not reclusive nor am I a monk lol.

Im not advocating for singleness. We are called to fellowship. But I've just been made aware of something that is so much greater, and it gives me a such a great peace despite being single that it's hard to describe, but I wanted to share in hopes t could be an encouragement.
 
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zeroturbulence

zeroturbulence

Senior Member
#7
Aug 2, 2009
24,653
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#7
Genesis 2:18 NLT:
Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone."
 
J

JairCrawford

Senior Member
#8
Oct 31, 2017
107
6
0
#8
zeroturbulence said:
Genesis 2:18 NLT:
Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone."
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We were indeed created with fellowship in mind. It's not my aim to downplay this truth at all, but to highlight a relationship that we too often tend to gloss over. A love that we can't fully wrap our minds around.
 
Pipp

Pipp

Majestic Llamacorn
#9
Sep 17, 2013
5,543
2,722
113
Georgia
#9
I get exactly what your saying and I agree... He said He would never leave us or forsake us, yet sometimes we feel left and forsaken when it's actually us who have forgotten His promise. In the flesh it doesn't make us feel any better, but the spirit says AMEN! Good post .
 
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