Loneliness

I just had an amazing conversation with a very good friend about the nature of loneliness.  So many people I know have a big family, a lot of friends, a great career, a large house, and so many of the trimmings that come with the American lifestyle.  They have it all.  By most standards of the world, they are rich.

But deep down they are incredibly lonely.

I can see it in their face.  They’ve accumulated for so long they don’t know how to do anything else.  And it doesn’t work.  And they don’t know how to do anything else.

Loneliness is an American dream byproduct.  We are force fed this erroneous idea that to have all the stuff makes us happy.  And it doesn’t.  We’re rich in stuff but poor in relationship.  We’ve learned to accumulate things but have abandoned any sense of ability to invest in meaningful dialogs of the heart.

What if true wealth is the presence of these relationships in our lives?

What if the call to love your neighbor as yourself is really a call about us finding that true wealth?

What if being blessed comes in being a blessing to other people, to let go of our stuff?

Because in the end, when we’re on our death bed, we don’t seek out the presence of our stuff.  We want people around us.  We want to know be with those who have been part of our life.

Because who do we remember?  We remember the people that take the time to invest in us, who took the time to step out of their own journey for a second and engage who is going on in our lives.  In fact, true maturity is the ability to step out of that self-interest.  It’s the ability to transcend our own selfishness.

What I see people truly looking for is people they can trust.  We need people in our lives.  We’re designed for connection and relationship.  It is not good to be alone.  And much of the journey of working out our own restoration is moving past the chaos of relationships and into the space of trust that transcends that chaos. And when we do, we have people by our side that we can call friends.

But to do that we must first become participants in our own restoration.  We must first be willing to be the one to trust.  We must first give what we are seeking.

So will you?

If you are interested in stepping out of loneliness and discovering a deeper wealth, we’d like to invite you to consider following Jesus. Contact us today to get a free digital copy of our leadership manual.

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Jonathan Brink is the Managing Director of Thrive Ministries. He wouldn’t trade the world for the joy that comes from his tribe.