Lonely?

Sometimes it can be lonely as a pastor. I don't say that to garner sympathy or to gain more lunch invitations it is just a fact of life.  It actually seems a bit counter-intuitive, after all, for the most part pastor's are surrounded by people.  Their whole life is about ministering to people.  If it were not for people there would be no need for a pastor.  And there are reasons why pastor's sometimes feel lonely, but that's not the point of all of this.  The point is that there are lots of people who claim to be lonely.

An October 2016 Harris Poll found that over 72% of the people surveyed said they were lonely. That's an amazing number. Today with social media and our constant obsession with Facebook and Twitter and Instagram it would seem as though we have lots of friends.

Here's what I know. Facebook is not the real world. It is a cyber community that often reflects only the surface of who we really are. Few of us post unflattering pictures of ourselves on line. Many of us hold back comments because we don't want to expose ourselves to criticism. Oh, sure there are moments of genuine honesty.  Those are those videos that make us cry and the rude comments that make us blush.  But always it is at a distance. I always have the option of turning off my phone or shutting down my computer.

I believe it is that distance that fuels our loneliness.  We tend to know people, for the most part only on the shallowest of levels.  What we really nee is a friend that is there for us constantly. One who know our pain and our joy. One with whom we can be brutally honest with.  One who loves us enough to attempt to steer us away from bad choices in our life.

One of my favorite Bible passages is from Psalm 139. Psalm 139:7-10 (NIV) "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,  even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

I like to turn to this verse in moments of loneliness. It assures me that I am never actually alone.  That God cares for me, is ever present with me and that His right hand is holding me.  Moses assured the Israelite people in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, that God would, "never leave you nor forsake you."  The writer of Hebrews in chapter 13 verse 5 repeats that promise.  There is a great deal of comfort in knowing that the God of the universe is ever there with us.

Feeling a bit lonely today? Remember God is always there for you.

Pastor Jeff

For more information on how you can have a relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ, contact us at www.lifepointealliance.org. We would love to connect with you.

If you live in the North Hills of Pittsburgh we invite you to worship with us Sunday Mornings at LifePointe Alliance Church. 2298 Rochester Road, Pittsburgh PA 15237.  You can also follow us on Facebook.