When, in Genesis, God proclaims that man will be made in 'our' image and that it is not good that man should be alone, He is simply reaffirming the fact that this God, a triune God, does not know loneliness.
From conception, we are surrounded by the sounds and warmth of the womb. Most of us enter the world into several of God's creations that work against loneliness: the Family: parents, siblings; the extended family, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins; friendships throughout our lives; our church family where we can rely on for worship, fellowship and support; prayer, the open invitation to talk with the very God of the universe and be assured that He is, indeed, listening...
Even the end of life, which all of us will surely face, has promises that make that experience one we will not handle by ourselves. Psalm 23 comes to mind! I will fear no evil for thou art with me. In his book, One Minute After You Die, Erwin Lutzer assures us that since we are with Christ on this side of the curtain, He will walk with us through to the other side so we are even supported in this most trying time and experience.
It all sounds so promising, but reality suggests that there are some issues, here. The number one cause of death in America, abortion, means that some conceived babies are not born into this world. It is my belief that not one aborted fetus leaves alone, that he or she is just as valuable to God as people living three score and ten, and that they will have companionship as they make their way to heaven.
For those who are born into a world without many of the protections discussed above, and there are many, loneliness can and does become a real factor. Children without parents or a parent, children unwanted and abused, those who feel alienated and without hope, those in the midst of wars, famine, etc. Even though God does not wish people to be lonely, it still is very possible for loneliness to permeate their lives.
The answer? Jesus Christ. For those of us who have been transformed by the Love and Grace of Jesus it is very natural to believe that He, and only He, can be an answer to the many problems and hardships in life, even when nothing else seems to offer hope. It is the Great Commission: to go into the world and share an antidote to all those whose lives still feel full of hopelessness and loneliness. To be filled with the Holy Spirit of God ends, forever, any loneliness that cannot be tempered by the personal love of the Living God!
Jesus Christ. Share Him. Love Him. Rely on Him. He is the ultimate antidote to loneliness!
Praise our God!
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