BIBLE PASSAGE:
Whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love.
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.
Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in them.
(1 John 4:8,16)
MEDITATION:
Have you ever had a time (or times) in your life when you felt all
alone and unloved? Even when friends were all around you, these
feelings would not go away. Your friends and family might have
suspected something was wrong and wanted to help, but they were
unsure of what to do or say.
Even if they tried to console you, the things they said or did, may
not have been what you needed at the time. Their words (or their
silence) may have been misinterpreted by you as a lack of concern,
and it could have caused you to believe that your friends and family
had deserted you in your time of need. It can be one of the worst
times in your life. Knowing that you are loved by someone (anyone)
was your greatest need at the time.
Being loved is a need for us all, isn’t it? A feeling of being lonely and
unloved can cause us to fall into a state of depression. Depression can
cause us to withdraw from others, which only adds to our emotional
pain, and could result in some health problems.
Who knows how you arrived at this point in your life? Maybe it was
caused by something someone said or did to you. It could be the result
of sudden health or financial problems. Perhaps it was caused by an
overwhelming concern or worry you have about someone you love, or
the pain of losing a loved one, or something else. It could be that you
reached out to someone (text, phone call, etc.) but they ignored you and
didn’t answer your call, or respond to your text.
Regardless of how you reached this feeling of being unloved
and lonely, it can be emotionally painful and overwhelming.
To someone else, it may appear to be something insignificant,
but to you, and it is disrupting your life.
Whenever we have these feelings of despair, we need to look for help
from the One who loves us at all times. We know He love us because
the scriptures have confirmed it many times. God’s Word reminds us
that ‘He IS love’! Think about that for a second – God is composed of
love. Not only does God love us, but He is there with us.
Remember when you created something with your own hands? You
had a special affection for it and wanted to protect it at all costs, didn’t
you? Why? Because it was something you had made.
God made us! He has a special love for us and wants to be with
us at all times. He wants to protect us from any feelings that can
devastate our lives. Even though God expressed His love for us
by sending His only Son to the cross for our sins, most of us may
not fully comprehend, or appreciate the depth and sincerity of
His enduring for us.
We have heard others say they love someone, but their actions
might cause us to wonder if they are sincere about their love.
However, we can be sure that God loves us, and His sincerity
is never in question.
The scriptures tell us that for us to know God, we are required to
live a life of love. We are to love God; we are to love others; and
we are to love ourselves. Loving ourselves doesn’t mean we are
conceited or egotistical, it means we appreciate how wonderfully
God has made us, and we love the fact that He has plans for us.
We are told that for us to ‘live in Him’, and for Him to ‘live in us’,
we have to ‘live in love’. Others should know us by the life of love
they see in us. A person with love has a greater concern for others
than they do for themselves. They are known as someone who is
unselfish and doesn’t have to have things their way at all times.
It is interesting that even when a loving person is discouraged,
they still look for ways to lift the spirits of others. They enjoy
brightening the days of other people. They aren’t looking for
ways to harm, discourage, or disrespect others. In fact, they
carefully consider how others might interpret their words and
actions.
The main physical desires of a person is hunger and thirst,
but love is our greatest emotional need. However, living a life
of love does not mean that we are immune to difficult times in
our own lives.
So, what do we do whenever we are overwhelmed by feelings of
loneliness and being unloved? The scriptures tell us that we need
to ‘rely on God’. Why? Because we ‘know the love He has for us’.
We know, because He made us and has given us the capacity to
understand that He loves us. His love is not a casual love, but it
it’s a love that is sincere, everlasting, and always wants the best
for us.
Just as we hate to see another person hurting, God doesn’t want to see
us hurting either. Even when we make bad choices, we may suffer the
consequences of our choices, but God’s love for us does not diminish.
When it seems no one else is there, God is always there because He
loves and cares about us.
ACTION:
Do you know God? Are you living a life of love? What motivates
you to do what you do, and say what you say? Do you want the
best for others, or does jealousy and other attitudes get in your
way?
How close is your relationship with God? Do you feel you need
to tell others about His love and your faith in Him, or can they
see it by the way you live your life?
Would you believe someone if they told you they loved another person,
but they never talked about them, never had a conversation with them,
and never made them or made them a part of their lives? Their lack of
action would cause you to be skeptical about their feelings for the other
person, wouldn’t it?
However, there are many who say they love the Lord, but seldom about
Him, talk to Him (pray), or make Him an active part of their lives. If
we want Him to be a part of our lives, then we should expect to have
to make some changes, shouldn’t we? Sometimes these changes can be
difficult, but we know they are necessary if we want to know the Lord.
True love means we look forward to spending time with another person.
We don’t communicate with them because we feel obligated, we talk to
to ones we love because we look forward to spending time with them. We
need to remember that even if our actions don’t support our love for God,
His love for us continues. Why? Because that’s the kind of loving God He is.
When you were a child, remember how much you enjoyed singing,
“Jesus loves me”?
When we were children, we could appreciate that message, but as
adults we may not feel the same impact of those words.
We might be tempted to think, “That’s a nice message”, but then we
forget it and continue living the life we are living in the way we want
to live it, rather than the way He wants us to live it. We need to be
aware that one day we will be held accountable for the sincerity of
our love for the Lord.
Jesus said,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will
enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one
who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did
we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name
drive out demons and in Your name perform many
miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never
knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
(Matthew 7:21-23)
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your love for me. Thank
You for being the One I can rely on. Help me to live a life of
love so that I will truly know You. Forgive me if I am being
selfish and not spending time with You in prayer and worship.
I want to show my love for You…to You. I want others to know
that my love for You is real. I want them to see my words are
confirmed through my actions. I know that many have turned
their back on You and no longer have a desire to spend time
worshipping and praising You. I pray that the Holy Spirit will
not allow me to turn my back on You, but will instill in me a
desire to look forward to enjoying my time with You in worship
and praise. Father, I pray that You will come to my rescue when
I am overwhelmed by any feelings that I am lonely and unloved.
Whenever I am in despair, remind me that I can rely on You
because You are always nearby. Help me to love others in the
same way that You love me.”
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