No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you will also live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. John 14:18-20 (NLT)
Christmas can be a wonderful time to get together with family and friends, but it can also be a time of great struggle for many—a time of sadness and loneliness. The loss of a loved one, a divorce or having family move away can make it an especially lonely time. If you’re feeling lonely this Christmas, I’d like to encourage you. Everyone has moments and seasons of loneliness.
As long as we are on this earth, we are going to experience periodic longings for something that nothing here can really fill. Just knowing that you are not alone in your loneliness makes it a lot easier to deal with.
You can also be comforted with the fact that you were never really alone. Jesus came to bring you great joy, even in the midst of your struggle. When times of struggle and loneliness hits, trust God to fill that void.
One of the best things you can do to combat feelings of loneliness is to reach out to others in need. We hear stories all the time of the people who, in the midst of their struggle, share a bit of encouragement or generosity with someone else and it changes their entire perspective.
Loneliness can happen to all of us. But if you find yourself staying there, reach out to help someone else and watch how your feelings change.