We long for community, for someone who sees us, knows us and sticks with us. That’s how we were created. And in a world that can quickly cancel from a word spoken or action taken, it’s hard to find community that keeps us held secure.

Loneliness is hard. We can feel left out in the locker room when teammates huddle together don’t include us in the conversation or invite us to dinner after practice. We long to celebrate as a team, but oftentimes, teams can feel divided. And when we see people posting about gatherings without us on social media, we can feel a sharp stab of being left out or forgotten.

The truth, though, is that we are never alone or forgotten.

“’The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.’” -Deuteronomy 31:8

You are never alone. God shows Himself to you through His Holy Spirit, who is with you and within you. Jesus also intercedes for you (Hebrews 7:24-25), always thinks of you, always watches over you and always seeks your good for His glory.

God also shows himself in the lives of the people around us. People can sharpen us, comfort us and give us perspectives outside of what we see that show us another part of God’s heart. 

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” -Acts 2:42

If you want to curl up and stay at home thinking I’m not good enough, no one wants to spend time with me, or I am alone, turn your thoughts toward these truths and counteract that feeling with the fact of God’s Word:

In God, I am of great value (Matthew 10:31).

I am dearly loved (1 John 4:9).

I am chosen (1 Peter 2:9).

God is close. He promises His presence, even when we feel alone. When it feels like no one has our backs, God always does.

“’And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” -Matthew 28:20

We know we aren’t alone with God. But what does it look like to combat the loneliness of going countercultural in a world where statistics, scheduled posts and seemingly spotless photos compete for our attention and to bring us down and look inward?

We switch our narrative and perspective to outward facing. We hope someone will reach out to us – but we can always take the first step and reach out, too. Invite a teammate to hang out after school or meet on a Saturday morning. Send a text to someone asking if they would pray for you. Join a small group or extracurricular club, or get into church and surround yourself with people who love the Lord and lean on His joy for strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

It’s important to cheer one another on through all stages of life, and it is good for us to fight for connection. We must run uphill, so to speak, and work against the urge to isolate. In a world where everything is at our fingertips and we find quick fixes on our phones, genuine community takes shape when we sit across from another person, look in their eyes, hear their stories and encourage one another in the goodness and truth of God.

“But as for me, God’s presence is my good.
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
so I can tell about all you do.” -Psalm 73:28

Pray that God would bring people around you who can come alongside you in your sadness in your struggle to feel comfortable sharing your burdens and belly laughs; both are necessary. It is good when we are in the company of others who can lift us up, sit with us and spur us on into the life God has invited us into through His great plans and care. 

Fellowship fuels us. Let’s go the distance together.

-FCA-