Loneliness is one of the worst feelings isn’t it? That horrible feeling that no one understands you, no one is going to be there to pick you up when you fall, and no one cares. These are the lies of the enemy. These are the lies that bind us to a life of fear. Christian girls: You are not alone.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 49:10
“Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand” – Psalm 73:23
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
You are not alone. You will NEVER be alone.
But you will feel lonely. You will feel lonely because you were made for something bigger than what this world has to offer. It’s hard to be set apart. It’s hard to stand for something that isn’t “mainstream” or even “normal”. Of course we, Christian girls, are going to feel lonely. We’re going to feel lonely when everyone is gossiping and we walk away or keep silent. We’re going to feel lonely when everyone is telling sex stories and we can’t relate. We’re going to feel lonely when we are surrounded by people who think we are weird because we are giving and forgiving…and many perceive that as a weakness. We will face the darkness…and we have to be brave.
I have never felt as lonely as I do as a young, single, Christian woman in the military. I do not fit. I don’t want to talk about sex. I don’t want to tell or hear dirty jokes. I don’t want to cuss every other word. I just don’t want to. And some people just…don’t get it. I used to try to explain myself, “I believe in waiting for marriage because I believe God has someone planned for me and I want to wait for him”. Only to be met by 10 different voices assuring me that this is not the case and that I will be waiting forever if I keep up this mentality.
You don’t have to explain yourself. The world is not going to get it.
“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” – 1 Corinthians 2:14
You will feel lonely, but you will never walk alone.
And then there will be the times you give in to temptation and mess up and pay heavily for it: “I saw you drinking last night; I thought you were a Christian” “Is that something a Christian would say?” That’s not very Christian of you is it?”
Again, these comments are from the enemy. His tell tale signature of shame and discouragement.
Hear me out: We all mess up. It is not about perfection. It was never about perfection.
The world doesn’t understand…we live for God’s glory…but we are flawed. We can’t possibly get it right. We strive to balance obedience with grace. We want to be true to our convictions but we fall short. The illusion of being alone and the feeling of loneliness is a sure way to get you to slip. Don’t believe it.
When I started talking openly about my upcoming 11 month overseas mission trip I was met with hard resistance.
“Aren’t you scared you’re going to get kidnapped?” “Aren’t you scared you’re going to get sick?” “Aren’t you scared you’re you won’t raise the money?” “Aren’t you SCARED, SCARED, SCARED, SCARED, SCARED, FEAR, FEAR, FEAR, FEAR”
ENOUGH!
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” – 1Timothy 1:7
We have to stop listening to the voice of fear. We have to stop listening to the voice of loneliness. They are lies.
We are called to be different. To be set apart. To be lights…joyful, shining, peaceful, lights in the dark. If we allow the dark to influence us, how can we hope to outshine it?
Christian girls: STAND. Stand firm on God’s promises. He will NEVER leave or forsake you. You are NOT alone.
STAND TOGETHER.
“If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” – Mark 3:25
Never once did Jesus say it was going to be easy, but it is worth it. We have to stand up and fight together. You are not alone. We are in this together.
There is power in the ability to stand alone, just you and Jesus. There is power in Christ. When you are surrounded by people who represent the voices of discouragement, shame, condemnation, and fear, Stand on God’s promises. Stand firm in the knowledge that you are not weird, confused, or stupid. You are chosen. Now stand.