Cure

    Loneliness is a normal feeling. Everyone gets lonely at some point in his or her life, whether it�s only for a short time, or for many years. Even some of the great men of the Bible were lonely. In Psalm 31:11-12 King David writes; �I am the utter contempt of my neighbors, I am a dread to my friends�I am forgotten by them as though I were dead.� Here he is, one of the greatest rulers that ever lived, and King David�s friends have all forgotten him! How about Paul, a remarkable man of God and writer of fifteen books of the Bible? In 2 Timothy 4:16 he writes; �At my first defense, no one came to my support. But everyone deserted me.�
     So there�s nothing wrong with feeling alone. It�s what you do about it that counts. People act in different ways when it comes to finding a cure for loneliness. Some withdrawal inside themselves, thinking that no one will notice or care. Others try to get attention by following the �popular� crowd or doing outrageous things. Still others try to escape from their problems through drugs, alcohol, or self-destruction.
     But none of these things work. In the end, they only end up having negative consequences. People lose their friends, or make new ones that drag them down and make them feel worse than before. Every effort to try and free themselves of loneliness only leaves them emptier than before.
     So what can they do about it? There�s many ways to cure yourself of loneliness- that actually work. Try reaching out to others who are lonely. Not only will you make new friends, but you�ll help another person who is feeling the same way you are. Get involved with activities at your school or in your neighborhood. Then you�ll meet people who have the same interests as you. When your feelings seem like too much to handle, talk to someone you trust.
     These things will all help you feel less lonely, but only temporarily. They won�t completely fill the hole in your heart. Humans fail, and at a time when you need them the most, your friends won�t always be there for you. But there is someone who WILL always be there for you, who NEVER fails. He loves you more than you know, and will never stop loving you.
    Romans 8:35 asks; �Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?� Verses 38-39 answer the question-�No�For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us form the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.� When trouble comes, when you feel alone, when everyone else has deserted you, God is there for you with strong and unfailing love.
     In Matthew 28:20 Jesus says; �And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.� You don�t have to feel lonely! You have a best friend in Jesus. And he will take care of you. Psalm 68:6 says; �God sets the lonely in families.� He will provide you with people who care about you. And when those people fail you, God will still be there for you. He tells us through the prophet Isaiah, �Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See I have you engraved on the palms of my hand!� (Isaiah 49:15-16)
     How can you argue with a promise like that? If you�re feeling like there�s no hope for your loneliness, turn to God and tell Him. He�ll help you through your problems and give you all the love you could ever need!