read> Psalm 46:1-11
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I wil be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10).
Being born and raised in a Latin American culture, I always believed that to be alone was to be lonely. For me the word held a negative and depressive connotation. When I went to study in a Western culture, my parent’s heritage, I realized that while Individualistic cultures do embrace time alone, they don’t actually like to be truly alone. Headphones, cellphones, entertainment, and video games show this.
The fearful reality is that a fear of being alone is slowly becoming a world-wide trend. We as people are losing the ability to be alone, forgetting how to be comfortable being with just oneself, and not knowing how to think on something greater than “me” (Colossians 3:2). We don’t know how to be still.
I distinctly remember going out on a walk a few years ago, in the winter months of the snowy Midwest. I was angry with God, simply because I needed to be angry with someone. I was feeling lonely, sad, and unimportant. Things weren’t going my way, and no one really seemed to care. It happens, to all of us. As I walked in the park, one I was very familiar with, I kicked the shadowy snow covering my pants and muttered prayers under my breath. It was now well past midnight and I was mentally and physically exhausted. Finally, I sat down and just told myself: “Chris, be still.” I think God was gracious to my poor, pitiful soul, as He helped me focus on Him, instead of my own mess. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) . . . the verse echoed in my mind.
Argue with God, if you need to, tell Him what you feel. But then, be still. Let Him reassure you. Know that He is with you (Psalms 46:11); live like He has your best in mind. —Christopher R. Mattix, Bolivia
deborah1 on February 4, 2013 at 1:18 pm
Chris, Thank you for your post as I can relate to your experience of feeling lonely and thinking that no one seems to care. Of course, God cares and is always with us, but we need human companionship and to feel we belong within a community beyond our immediate family. For me, I have more traits of introversion and am highly sensitive. You mentioned, “fear of being alone is slowly becoming a world-wide trend.” When adding the fact that Western culture typically favors extroversion especially for women; misunderstands introversion as being anti-social; requires regular stimulation; and focuses on materialism, I still continue to search for where I fit. I thank the Lord for the people He has brought into my life, but there’s a part of me that always feels like an outsider as I long for and need the quiet, tranquility and simplicity. I am comforted when recalling that we, as believers, are not of this world as our home is with God. And that this is our time to prepare for spending eternity with God by obeying His commands and trusting in His provision for our needs–even companionship, which comes in various forms and degrees.
tom felten on February 5, 2013 at 9:05 am
Good thoughts, Christopher. I’m reminded of this verse of comfort, in which God says ““I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5). He is with us now and forever!