“Feelings of loneliness almost always sabotage our efforts to find a way through our hardships.”

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book, You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 88). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

We really do need each other in good times but especially in difficult times. The good times are made better when we have someone to share them with and the same with difficult times. Now the answer to this is not whether you are married or single. There are so many lonely married people and there are also so many single people that aren’t. It is your feelings of loneliness that matter.

Now the fact may be that you have been married for 20+ years or the fact may be that you have never been married. The fact does not control the feeling. Fact, God is everywhere so you are never alone. Fact, there are people all around you who want to be your friend. Fact, there are people all around you who need you to be their friend. But those facts do not control your feelings. What you focus on, what you believe, what you tell yourself controls your feelings not facts. What that means is, you may not be able to control your facts but you can control your feelings and that can make all the difference in how you handle the difficulties that will come into your life.

I believe that everybody likes me. Is that a fact? No. I’m sure there are people who are annoyed by me but I do not let that fact control my feelings. My belief that everyone likes me controls my feelings.

Here is something on my part that helps with that feeling. I have chosen to like everyone. If they come across as unlikeable I don’t criticize them I pray for them. I turn the potential negative into a prayer. I have chosen to believe that hurting people hurt people so I pray that God will help them in their pain. Maybe I will be used to help them in dealing with their pain. I also know that Jesus died for everyone so that gives them great worth so I’d better be careful in my attitude toward them because my attitude goes a long way in how God will deal with me. I need His grace so I’d better give it. That’s the way it works.

Remember, “Feelings of loneliness almost always sabotage our efforts to find a way through our hardships.”

Also remember to be there in their time of hardship no matter how they have been to you. God will reward that.

So how lonely do you choose to be?

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