ACTS International

Today's Daily Encounter
Loneliness Is a Sad Affair

"God sets the lonely in families."1

"Loneliness," as Karen Carpenter used to sing so
sadly, "it's such a sad affair." Indeed it is. It's
one of the plagues of modern Western society.

Dr. James Lynch, a former medical researcher at John
Hopkins, contends in his book, The Broken Heart, that
loneliness is the number one physical killer today. It
can literally break your heart.

"Using actuarial tables from ten years research, Dr.
Lynch says that those who live alone--single, widowed,
divorced--have premature death rates from two to ten
times higher than individuals who live with others.
Living alone, he says, does not necessarily produce
loneliness, but the two are often related. Among
divorced people, suicide is five times higher, fatal
car accidents four times higher.

"People who live alone visit physicians more
frequently than married people, and they stay in
hospitals twice as long for identical illnesses."2

It may not be the most desirable for everyone but we
can live without romantic relationships, but none of
us can live healthily without at least one or two
healthy, close, loving relationships. Without such we
limp along in the shadows of life, eking out a lonely
existence … and die a little every day.

Dr. Lynch also reminds us that, "If we fail to form
loving human relationships, our mental and physical
health is in peril."

Besides one's family (if one has one) there's no
better place to find love and a sense of belonging
than in a healthy, non-legalistic church where
unconditional love, acceptance, and friendship are
expressed in open, positive, and practical ways. In
such a church God does set the lonely in
families--that's one reason God has designed the
church as a family--the family of God.

Here, too, one can find God--the only one who can
satisfy our innate sense of spiritual loneliness. "To
live apart from him," says psychologist, Dr. Norman
Wright, "is the most pathetic loneliness of all."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in my loneliness help me
to always look to you and to a church where the people
are loving and friendly--and never to any false
substitute which would only end up increasing my sense
of loneliness. Thank you for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
'
1. Psalm 68:6 (NIV).
2. From Perceptions--Observations on Everyday Life by
Maxine Dunnam

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NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

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"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2011
ACTS International.