What I Learned From My Season of Loneliness

As I am writing this, I have been struggling with a season of loneliness for the past couple months. And I would like to say this is the Lord providing me time to learn, I still have felt extremely deprived of interaction with my peers and genuine relationships. This post will not be like the usual posts where I talk about my encounters with other people, but talking about what I have been struggling with in the last couple months, as well as what I have learned.

Loneliness can make you depend on the Lord

I am young, but ever since I can remember I have been focused on entering the next relationship with a girl, or had an intense hyperfixation on accumulating the most friends possible. However what I learned from that stage in my life, is that though I had a girlfriend, or the most friends I could possibly ask for, my life continued to be empty. I would go out with my friends, and when I returned home, I would feel extremely distant from everyone. How is it possible that when I seemed to be in the happiest stage of my life that I felt for a lack of better words, lonely.

I remember constantly falling into sin, whether it was with my girlfriend at the time, or with my friends. Recently I had a discussion with a friend, and I was reminded that every time we sin, we reject the Holy Spirit. I recently realized that that loneliness that I felt was actually the absence of God in my life. From me constantly rejecting the Lord as He consistently tried to remind me and convict me of my sin.

So what does the Lord do when you have fallen so far. He takes away the things that are keeping you from being close to Him. I talk about my season of loneliness as if it is a negative thing, however as I reflect on the past couple months, I have never felt more joy, not happiness – but joy. I am content with how the Lord has taken people out of my life, that I knew were bad for me. And this is not to say that I have lost all of my friends, though I have lost many – I have gained relationships with believers that if God willing will last a life time.

Loneliness Gave Me More Time

Yes, when I was constantly trying to balance relationships, school, jobs, and Jesus – I realized that I was putting everything in my life over my relationship with the Lord. Not to say go and end all your relationships, but in my experience the Lord has blessed me with more time to devote to His word. I have more time to pray – and more time to volunteer at my local church, and disciple younger believers that may have questions. I also have more time to spend with my family. I reflect on this season and the relationship between my family and I have become ten times as strong. The arguing has gone down ten fold. I give all credit to Jesus, through Him we are able to sit down and enjoy each other’s company.

I urge you, if you struggle with prioritizing Jesus, take time, reflect on what has been keeping you from doing that. Ask the Lord for guidance and surrender your time to Him.

Not truly lonely

Lastly, we are not truly lonely. If we believe the Gospel of Jesus – we are not truly lonely. As believers we have the Holy Spirit living in us. We have God living in us. There is never a moment where you are lonely, however the moments where you do become lonely are when you reject the spirit. Hold on to the love Christ has for you.