In this desert life most of us have experienced extreme loneliness at some time or the other because we are away from our closest friends and relatives and live in the midst of relative strangers, who are not committed to us in any way. How we handle these moments of loneliness is what sets a Christian apart from an unbeliever or worldly person.
An unbeliever usually resorts to either of two courses of action during his or her moments of solitude. Either they indulge in some self-destructive vice or unproductive activity or the more erudite among them, immerse themselves in activities that boost their self-esteem like expanding knowledge and awareness through reading, watching television, debating their own country’s politics, trivia etc. with like-minded individuals or by developing a flair for a hobby or sport. While none of these abovementioned activities except vices can be faulted in a world that increasingly respects only secular-minded people, they do very little to bring the person true joy and peace.
Unbelievers do experience moments of happiness when their achievements are recognised, but those are fleeting moments that disappear as soon as they appear. Happiness is so dependent on situations like when we win we are happy; when our love is reciprocated by people we care for we are happy; when we are partying with friends we are happy till the music is playing, however if we are ignored by others we would be either sulking or seething in anger within. In sharp contrast joy, which comes from the Lord, is independent of our immediate circumstances. When we worship the Lord in Spirit or pray during our moments of solitude or sorrow, Our Lord takes away our sorrows acting on our faith in Him. He replaces it with inexplicable joy.
An unbelieving world may find this truth difficult to digest. In economically advanced societies like the United States of America, 1 in 10 persons was found to suffer from depression and they belonged to different backgrounds and had different life experiences. In our part of the world there are no recorded statistics, however it is a well-known fact that loneliness often leads to depression, particularly when the person does not recognise an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient and compassionate God in Heaven who is ever-willing to hear us out like a good friend and take away our burdens.
Before I became a Christian, back home in Mumbai, on certain evenings I would be desperately searching for friends to drive away a dark loneliness that seemed to engulf my very soul. On not finding one of them at home, I would rush to another friend’s house. Finding his door locked as well, I would sink into a state of negativity, not knowing how to fill in my time or uplift my spirit. I would then try to slip into a crowd in a busy street, hoping that this would make me feel better. At that point I was seeking a psychological solution but today, Our most compassionate God has given me a Spiritual solution that works anywhere and every time as long as I trust in His promise never to forsake me even for a moment.
Every moment of solitude is, for me, a time to be spent in the company of my unseen Heavenly Father worshipping Him in Spirit and Truth telling Him my woes and thanking Him for all He has done for me, including sending His only begotten Son, Lord Jesus, to die on the Cross of Calvary for the sake of my sins. These have been the most wonderful moments for me because through the spiritual eyes and ears that the Father has gifted me, I am able to enter a realm full of divine light where there is Supreme Joy. I cannot think of any friend or activity, who can come anywhere close to this.
