A Funeral Worth Attending
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” – Psalm 147:3
Is it just me or does it seem like every year the holiday commercials start airing sooner? I cringed, when in mid-October, several festive commercials crept onto my television screen. It reminded me of why I needed to mail my remote control to the Bermuda Triangle with no return address on the package. It also reminded me it was that time of year in which I should anticipate regular sightings of a frequent holiday party crasher who regularly shows up uninvited. You might know Him. He goes by Loneliness.
Loneliness’ reputation precedes Him because He’s so familiar. He’s notorious for whispering lies to us like: “Nobody cares about you” or “Bad attention is better than no attention at all.” He constricts the heart, rendering us unable to sense God’s grace, thus causing us to exaggerate the adversities of life and make our burdens seem heavier than they really are. He also clouds our thinking and prevents us from recognizing the difference between being lonely and being alone. Lonely implies a disquieting emptiness characterized by feelings of isolation. Alone suggests being without companionship or association. In the life of a Christian, loneliness just might make His way to your home. But Christians are never alone because the Spirit of God lives in us and is omnipresent. Where we are, He is.
This particular verse of scripture is a great encouragement to those of you who struggle with Loneliness. When the Psalmist says “He heals the brokenhearted”, literally he’s saying that God thoroughly repairs those who are internally crushed and broken into pieces. If you’ve ever waged war with Loneliness, you can probably relate to feeling as if you’re no different than a shattered Christmas ornament. Fear not though. Our God’s deep sympathy with mourners is a special mark of His goodness, and He willingly chooses to associate with the despondent. In “binding up our wounds”, this verse makes mention of God providing protection. The word “wounds” here originates from a Hebrew word for “griefs”. It’s only fitting that grief is the price of the victor’s coronation.
I’m not sure how many people would stand up in public and openly admit this, but one of man’s greatest fears is to live in anonymity. Living as if no one knew you existed could arguably be worse than not living at all. When that happens, Loneliness has all He needs to manipulate our insecurities for His own benefit. There’s an old adage in church work that if you want a ministry to die, you have to quit feeding it. Is your Loneliness being nourished and strengthened by your own diffidence? If so, here’s the solution: be willing to bury your sorrows in active service contributing to other people’s joy. In finding an unmet need and pouring yourself into it, Loneliness dies and the funeral procession begins.
“Loneliness is modern-day leprosy and people don’t want others to know they’re lepers.” – Mother Theresa
Edifying, Encouraging & Enlightening,
Excelsius
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