Virtuous Daughters Ministry
  • Home
  • About
  • Library
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • What Matters Most
  • Contact

Article Library

The Fellowship of Loneliness

3/21/2020

 
by Cheryl S.
from Virtuous Daughters, February 2006~Volume 5, Number 11
​"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”—John 14:18

Darling Virtuous Daughters,

“The Fellowship of Loneliness, what a strange title . . . what a paradox!” you must be thinking. But, dear girls, it is my hopes to show you just this. The greatest fellowship often comes during times of loneliness. Of course that fellowship is with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, girls, I have felt the depths of loneliness in my lifetime. I understand that when you are in the midst of it, it can feel quite sorrowful at times. So I write this with compassion knowing that if you are experiencing loneliness right now, you are probably experiencing pain along with it. But be encouraged, there is Hope and Help.
​Girls, there are three main things I would like to share with you that I have learned about loneliness. 


#1–Loneliness can be magnified by perspective.
During times of loneliness, we have a tendency to be self-absorbed. Our thoughts tend to be focused on ourselves, our needs, our desires, etc. Our perspective will likely be self-centered. Girls, if you think this describes you, ask the Lord to help you focus beyond yourself. Ask Him to give you someone to “minister” to. Perhaps a sibling needs extra love during a difficult time. Maybe your father or mother need your devoted attention to help with a project. Or, under your parent’s guidance, maybe an elderly neighbor would benefit greatly from your smile and time. Doing something for others in need takes the focus off of us, and often provides us with fellowship with the person we are ministering to.


#2–We cannot treat all of our feelings as truth.
Girls, this is a lesson that I think would benefit every female to learn. We girls have a natural tendency to be more emotional and gauge our thoughts and decisions from a more emotional perspective. How do we feel about this or that? When we feel lonely, we often take this as truth; that we really are alone in our situation. But, girls, if you have asked Jesus in your heart, He comes and stays! He is the One you can count on that no matter what your life holds, He will be with you.

Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “...and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” Jesus also said in John 14:16-20, “And I will pray the father, and He shall give you another comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.”

Also, please take time to pray to the Lord and ask Him to reveal truths to you as you read and study Psalm 139.


#3–Use your time of loneliness as an opportunity to deepen your fellowship with Jesus Christ.
Now, girls, we should always be desiring to deepen our fellowship with Christ, whether going through loneliness or not, but during a time of loneliness our thoughts can be more focused without the many distractions that normally tend to take our time. Let’s look at some examples of this. First of all, have you ever considered the first slaves? Many times I have thought about how they were captured from their homes in Africa, being taken away on a ship across the ocean, far away from everything they knew and loved; knowing they would never see their families again, even if they were to escape. Truly, how lonely they must have felt! But not all of their stories ended in hopeless desperation because many of those slaves came to know Christ. This was evident in the numerous spirituals revealing their understanding that the life, pain, and world they knew was not forever. But they sang songs expressing their faith, hope, and joy in the midst of their pain. Think about the words of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” “Were You There,” “Nobody Knows de Trouble I See,” or “There is a Balm in Gilead.”

Furthermore, let’s consider King David of the Bible. When he was a boy, he tended his father’s sheep. Surely, this caused him to be physically alone most of the time, but yet was he ever alone? Look at 1 Samuel 17:37; here he is talking to King Saul about his time tending sheep. It says, “David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” And of course the many Psalms written by David reveal the depth of his fellowship with his Lord.

So, dear girls, if you are experiencing the depth of loneliness, turn your focus on your fellowship with Christ. The sweetness of that depth is rewarding and eternal. It is the surest, truest, and greatest fellowship you will ever know on this earth. May the Lord reveal Himself to you as you fellowship with Him!

Comments are closed.

    The Article Library

    This "Library" contains articles that were published ​in previous issues of Virtuous Daughters. It will keep growing as we continue to upload articles from the 20 years of printing. ​​We pray they are an encouragement to you!  
       
    ​Note: Articles marked with an asterisk (*) are from the earliest years of Virtuous Daughters, and therefore pertain mostly to "little ladies."

    Categories

    All
    Certainty
    Christian Living
    Christmas
    Discernment
    Easter
    Encouraging Brothers
    Especially For Younger Girls
    Evangelism
    Family Relationships
    Friendships
    Gardening
    God's Character
    God's Faithfulness
    God's Word
    Growing In Christ
    Health & Wellness
    Homemaking Skills
    Honoring Parents
    Humility
    Hymn History
    Ministry
    Poetry
    Prayer
    Preparing For Marriage
    Proverbs 31
    Scripture Studies
    Serving Others
    Sibling Relationships
    Singleness
    Spiritual Warfare
    Standing Alone
    Surrender
    Testimonies
    Thankfulness
    The Tongue
    Thought Life
    Time With God
    Trials
    True Beauty
    Trusting God
    Victory In Christ
    Virtuous Womanhood
    Volume 1
    Volume 10
    Volume 11
    Volume 12
    Volume 13
    Volume 14
    Volume 15
    Volume 16
    Volume 17
    Volume 18
    Volume 19
    Volume 2
    Volume 20
    Volume 3
    Volume 4
    Volume 5
    Volume 7
    Volume 8
    Volume 9
    Waiting On God

    Archives

    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020

    RSS Feed

Picture
Encouraging Young Ladies to Grow in the Lord Jesus Christ
"Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."~Proverbs 31:29

virtuous daughters ministry

  • Home
  • About
  • Library
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • What Matters Most
  • Contact