https://www.bible.com/events/49370939
Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus
Healthy Me: Mind Made Up Part 1
Never alone…
Today we are starting our new teaching series called Healthy Me: A mind made up.
Healthy Me is a compassionate invitation to seek healing and wholeness in the area of mental health. Believing that God sees us and he cares about how we are feeling.
Our goal is to provide a biblical approach to our mental health and to gain tools to begin a path towards a healthy me.
This is not about quick fixes, easy answers, or cliché responses. It’s not a substitute for professional counseling. These are tools for the journey of wholeness and healing through Christ.
We begin today talking about loneliness.
Loneliness is an unhealthy or destructive feeling of sadness due to a perceived lack of companionship, friendship, or any social connection.
Loneliness is not necessarily a reflection of how big our social circles are, our marital status, or even how many calls and texts we receive each day. Rather, loneliness is a reflection of how connected we feel to others and how supported and seen we feel in relationship.
So, loneliness is not simply about being alone. It’s not limited to those who are single, orphaned, or those who have lost a spouse. Loneliness can be a challenge for ANYONE who is missing connections with others.
As we turn to the bible, loneliness appears sooner in the story than you might think.
Genesis 2:18
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Loneliness is literally the first “Not good” in the creation account.
From Genesis onward, we see different people facing loneliness.
King David for example. He was wealthy, he had a large family, he even had multiple wives, all of the officials surrounding him, and he still dealt with loneliness. (See Psalm 27:16-17)
The Apostle Paul, as he is imprisoned and facing the death penalty, he is also facing the weight and reality of loneliness. (See 2 Timothy 4:9-12)
And let’s not forget Jesus powerful yet lonely words from the cross…
Matthew 27:46
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
As we look at loneliness in our day, it’s a challenge for many people.
Studies indicate that 1 in 4 people face loneliness on a regular basis. And this is just as true within the church as anywhere else.
Loneliness can come into our lives in a variety of otherwise normal life events.
We might change schools or change jobs, and suddenly we find ourselves surrounded by people, but feeling all alone. Family or friends might move away. We might loose a loved one and be left alone. We might even be rejected by others, whether by divorce, or by disagreement.
Loneliness often shows up in our story as an unwelcome and un-invited guest and it doesn’t just affect our mood, it’s effecting our health.
The surgeon general says that insufficient connection can lead to some serious health consequences.
29% increased risk of heart disease a 32% increased risk of stroke
50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults.
Loneliness also increases risk of premature death by more than 60%
The Surgeon General likens the health effects of loneliness to smoking 15 cigarettes per day, that’s nearly a pack per day, or they relate it to consuming 6 alcoholic drinks per day.
Of course, we arent oblivious to that pain, so people often try to self-medicate to offset the loneliness.
We might throw ourselves into our work. We might try “retail therapy”.
Others might turn to Drugs, alcohol, or prescription pills to dull the pain.
Some might even seek to fill the void with one night stands.
Sometimes we will build walks to protect ourselves from ever being hurt again. The pain of loneliness is not as bad as the pain of past rejection, so we reside to living there.
It’s not hard to imagine how feelings of loneliness can become a spiral of destructive thoughts and emotions.
Our loneliness drives isolation, producing depression and anxiety, which leads to avoiding people, which leads to loneliness. Around and around it goes.
Loneliness.
So, what do we do? We may not have chosen loneliness; we certainly don’t like it. What are some things we can do to help with those feelings?
I would invite you on the journey of P.E.A.C.E.
I believe P.E.A.C.E can help us on the path of healing and wholeness.
P- Presence
We must recognize the Lord’s presence and his promise that he is with us, ALWAYS.
It’s the very promise of Christmas in the name Emmanuel given to Jesus to remind us, that he is God WITH us. Friends as we begin to deal with loneliness, we must remember God’s presence, that he is with us.
Those who are in Christ, are NEVER, EVER, truly alone.
John 14:23 “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
Matthew 28:20 …”and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
I am with you always…You are not alone.
When we are in relationship with Christ, His spirit is literally alive within us- we are not alone. He is with us. He is with you.
E-Every thought captive.
We must engage the battle of loneliness within our minds by recognizing those unhealthy and spiraling thoughts that are pushing us farther into isolation.
We must recognize, resist, and redirect those thoughts.
2 Corinthians 10:5 says “5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Arrest those runaway despairing thoughts, and redirect them towards Christ. Remember, you are not alone.
A-ask the Lord to help you in your feelings of loneliness.
That’s what King David did in Psalm 27 “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.”
David made his lonely feelings a matter of prayer and petition before the Lord. I think it’s ok for us to do the same
Ask the Lord to help you in your feelings of loneliness. Remember, you are not alone.
C-Connection
We must seek out deep, meaningful connection with others.
Acts 2:46-47 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
This is way beyond our typical “Hey how are you doing?” conversations. We must be intentional to invest in getting to know other people, and getting them to know us.
We must invest real effort in seeking connection with others. Remember, you are not alone.
E- Engage in Ministry
1 Peter 4:8-10 says 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.10 Each of you (Who did he say?) should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Part of a meaningful and connected life is serving others, espesically when you feel alone.
If we find ourselves in a season of loneliness, can we prayerfully ask the question “Who can benefit from my season of loneliness?”
Remember, you are not alone, and THEY are not alone either.
P.E.A.C.E.
This is not a “one pill prescription” this is not an “easy as 1-2-3” process. This is an invitation to a journey. A journey out of loneliness and isolation and into a Healthy Me.
There is hope. Loneliness does not have the final answer. You are not alone.