Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1233 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Loneliness Is No One’s Friend – Ask Gramps

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy.

Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1233 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday, we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy. As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time when we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, you are unable to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or Gramps questions about life in many areas.

We may mix it up a bit on our Friday episodes, but we will strive to keep them down to earth and enjoyable. If you have any questions that you would like to ask Gramps, please email them to guthrie@wisdom-trek.com.

The question for this week is…

“Hey Gramps, I have several friends at work and hundreds of online friends on the various social media sites, but many days I still feel lonely. It seems to plague me more the older I get. Do you have any wise tips to help me overcome this loneliness and have peace and joy in my heart?”

 Loneliness Is No One’s Friend

There was a song during my teen years by Simon and Garfunkel called “The Sounds of Silence,” and the first line was, “Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.” Do you sometimes, or quite often, feel this way? It seems like many people do. The busier we become, the more lonely many people seem to be. Activity is not a replacement for genuine relationships.

Loneliness is no one’s friend, but it is everyone’s acquaintance. While I have not experienced periods of extreme loneliness in my life, which many people do, we can all relate to that feeling. Loneliness eats at your insides and brings a vacuum of emptiness. It creates a gnawing hunger of wanting to belong, to be understood, and to be loved. You can have thousands of online friends and dozens of friends in real life and still be lonely. Loneliness doesn’t come from being alone; it comes from feeling alone.

This reminds how the Old Testament character Jacob, whose name was later changed to Israel, may have felt. Earlier in his life, he was a man on the run. He cheated his older brother, Esau, out of his birthright, and Esau threatened to kill him. Jacob left Beersheba with his birthright and the blessing, both stolen, but he had little else. He was a fugitive, he was alone, he was heading to a land not his own, and he was depressed. The place where Jacob found himself, a desolate, lonely place, was a picture of his barren heart. It was a place of dashed hopes and dreams. We read later, that just as he deceived his brother Esau, Jacob was deceived by his Uncle Laban on many occasions. Even with these periods of loneliness, we know his experiences did create a positive desired outcome in his life, as God changed his name to Israel, God’s chosen people.

So what is the solution for your loneliness? There are some things that can help. You must make it a priority to follow the greatest two commandments found in God’s Word. In fact, if we grasp and put into practice these two commands, everything else in our lives will fall into place. This is found in  Matthew 22:37-40, “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’”

First, to minimize loneliness, love God. This means to realize that you are also God’s chosen person. Chosen to be the bearer of His image. Chosen to be a kingdom builder here on earth. You are never truly alone. The Lord is with you, and He loves you as one of his children.

Second, love yourself. Not in a narcissistic or egotistic manner, but understanding that God has created you as a masterpiece. Someone who is fit for a king. Learn to love yourself, as God loves you.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Third, love others. They are also God’s masterpiece. They are also God’s children. They are also God’s image-bearers. Treat others with love and kindness. When you invest and pour yourself into helping others, especially those less fortunate, then you will no longer have time to be lonely, nor feel sorry for yourself.

The bottom line is everyone experiences loneliness from time to time, but no one has to stay lonely. God promises to always be with us. We are told in Psalms [34:17]-19,

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.

That is a wrap for today’s question. Join us again next Friday for another question on our “Ask Gramps” episode. Our next trek is Mediation Monday, when we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 1231 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player, so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most of all, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!