A Pang of Loneliness

A pang of loneliness tangled me a day ago. It lasted for several minutes. While it lasted, I wondered if I should take a walk or call someone to talk. Somehow those options didn't satisfy me. Am I supposed to stay through the pang of loneliness and fight against it? What caused this experience to occur?

While I was sorting this out, a dawn came to me. I realized that I have forgotten how to worship the Lord in an intimate way in the midst of comfort. I decided to stop everything and shut the door and my laptop to make myself even lonelier and shut-in. In creating the loneliest atmosphere I felt like I worshipped into the heaven's gateway. Thereafter, I felt recharged and dumb. I had a full weekend in DC. I had a friend who's coming within a few hours to stay at our place for a night. Yet I felt a pang of loneliness.

A pang of loneliness was created when broken or unstable relationship, dysfunctional of communication, or unfamiliar surroundings existed. It's a nature. We are created in His image. Therefore, we are inclined to hunger after Him. Loneliness may be a sign of our hunger. We may either chase after unlastingly satisfication through the people and the things, or we could chase after God, the eternal.

BUT...

David was lonely. He shut himself into the cave of Adullam. But it wasn't over! "And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men."

I love this! Those people who were distressed, in debt, and discontented responded when they heard about David's loneliness. We often mistakenly shut in spiritually. In other word, don't be numb. As the Body of Christ, we need to be open so that we won't lose the touch of sense for the others who may be crying out for care, pray, touch, or read verses together. In our openness, we shall edify each other.

Shut-in physically to go to the Lord foremost, and then be open to talk about it!