It’s not uncommon for people to feel alone in a crowd of people, but that’s not what God intended for us. Scripture calls us to draw close to God and one another, but we isolate ourselves in a sea of other people. Even in the most inviting environments, we can feel like we’re on the outside looking in.
It’s as if we’re adrift on a raft surrounded by salt water. We crave the fresh water of deep relationships, but nothing around us seems sufficient or safe. That’s how the enemy convinces us to slowly and painfully die from relational dehydration.
Below are some of the best Bible verses for overcoming loneliness along with encouragement for those of us who feel alone.
Yet, it’s not enough to read through these passages. We can easily seek the promises of Scripture without living them. Overcoming loneliness requires us to settle our spirits, to be still and know God (Psalm 46:10). Try to read these verses slowly, meditate on them one at a time, and ask God to help you experience these truths rather than simply learning them. You can also reflect on our Prayer for the Lonely.
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” (Genesis 2:18 NLT)
The first mention of loneliness in the Bible is God’s rebuke of it. In our loneliness, we should remember it’s not God’s overall plan for our lives. He may call us to times of solitude, but His desire is for us to have close and helpful relationships. Who is God providing to defeat your feeling of being alone? If you don’t know, ask Him.
But even in the moments when no one seems trustworthy, we can take comfort in this next verse.
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. (Psalm 27:10 ESV)
Sometimes we feel rejected by the world.
And sometimes it’s true.
We can’t pretend people are always reliable. That only ensures disappointment, but God is not the rest of the world. No matter what other people say about us, the Lord accepts us into His arms when we turn to Him.
That leads us to our third verse.
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. (Psalm 34:17-18 NLT)
When loneliness threatens to crush our spirit, we need to lean into that sorrow, calling out to God for help. The lie of loneliness is that it’s a burden we can’t set down. We believe loneliness is based on how others view us, so there’s nothing we can do about it. But that’s not true or biblical. Loneliness is actually about the way we view ourselves and our relationship with God.
That’s why we should remind ourselves of this next passage…
My heart will not be afraid even if an army rises to attack.
I know that you are there for me, so I will not be shaken.
Here’s the one thing I crave from God,
the one thing I seek above all else:
I want the privilege of living with him every moment in his house,
finding the sweet loveliness of his face,
filled with awe, delighting in his glory and grace.
I want to live my life so close to him
that he takes pleasure in my every prayer.
In his shelter in the day of trouble, that’s where you’ll find me,
for he hides me there in his holiness.
He has smuggled me into his secret place,
where I’m kept safe and secure—
out of reach from all my enemies.
(Psalm 27:3-5 TPT)
We base part of our loneliness on faulty expectations of this life rather than living in the perfect expectation of our eternal life. When we find ourselves discouraged by earthly abandonment (whether real or perceived), can we refocus our desire, as the psalmist wrote, to crave the “privilege of living with Him every moment” rather than seeking a fleeting human comfort?
If we can learn to do that, we’ll release our unattainable expectations of other people and encourage one another, as our next verse reminds us.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV)
As we seek God in our loneliness, we’re also called to seek out other believers in encouragement—finding others to travel with on the road of Christian living. Some of us look at this verse and think, Well, I’m always the one doing the encouraging. I feel alone because no one is giving anything back. If that’s true, one of two things is happening: either your attitude is wrong or you’re with the wrong group of people.
Notice that this verse says “one another.” It’s one of the most popular phrases in the New Testament. It’s used over a hundred times. So if you primarily live one-way relationships, it’s time to evaluate those relationships. We need to seek fellowship with people who will encourage us as we encourage them. Don’t confuse codependency for ministry.
Two final verses on loneliness.
The primary reason our enemy wants us to feel lonely is to distract us from the purpose God has in our lives. Each of us has divine assignments that give eternal meaning to our seemingly temporary lives. The enemy doesn’t want us to feel empowered in Christ to fulfill those assignments, so he whispers words of insufficiency and isolation into our ears. But we are never alone in those assignments.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NLT–Emphasis Added)
Remember …neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 NIV)
No matter what our enemy whispers. We are never alone.
What Bible verses help you overcome loneliness? What steps can you take in claiming God’s promises about loneliness? Let’s encourage one another in the comments below.
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This is beautiful, Joshua. It spoke to me in so many ways. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that, Penny. I pray the Lord will continue to encourage you.
I think God uses loneliness to draw us closer to Him and your words help pave the way to Him. I’m reminded of the lyrics from a hymn that’s stuck with me through the years: “When God is all you have, you’ll find He’s all you need.”
Beautiful and encouraging post!
That’s a beautiful lyric, Candyce. I think you’re right. God will use the loneliness of this world to draw us to Him. Thank you for your encouragement today.
YES to this: “We base part of our loneliness on faulty expectations of this life rather than living in the perfect expectation of our eternal life.” So very true. Thank you!
I’m so glad you found that line encouraging, Jessica. I’m trying to learn how to be more focused on the eternal rather than the little disappointments of today, Thanks so much.
Lots of great wisdom here, Joshua. I have struggled with occasional bouts of depressions since I was a teen. Depression and loneliness go hand in hand. The enemy uses them to make us feel isolated and helpless. This, of course, makes us focus inward rather than upward and outward. What a trap!
But the word of God is a powerful weapon if we will only use it. You have listed a few of my favorites. Praise and worship (also found in scripture) is another tool that helps me.
Blessings!
You are so right, Beckie! Loneliness and depression do go hand in hand. I’ve experienced that myself. I love that you mentioned worship. What better way to be drawn into the presence of God, which is the greatest weapon against loneliness of all. I’m so glad you shared that to encourage me and other readers. Thank you.
One of the passages that reminds me most strongly that I am not alone is when Jesus taught “Our Father….” His Father is my Father. And the connection between all the faithful who have gone before me and will come after me reminds me that, even when my immediate circumstances have me feeling alone or struggling with those all important relationships, I never am alone. Not. Ever.
Wow, Denise. What a powerful observation that Jesus says, “Our Father” and not “My Father.” That’s fantastic and comforting. Thank you for sharing that great insight.
I love the concept of relational dehydration. It reminds me of Proverbs 18:24, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” I must be kind to others if I want them to do the same to me. Thanks for the reminder.
I have suffered the effects of relational dehydration and it’s a difficult place to be. The people in our lives have such a big influence on how we live.
I love this post! Loneliness is one of the ways the enemy seeks to corner us.
“If that’s true, one of two things is happening: either your attitude is wrong or you’re with the wrong group of people.”
It’s great how this highlights the importance of cultivating life-giving relationships.
I love how you put that. “Life-giving relationships” are vital to our growth as Christians and writers. It’s so important to evaluate how our company affects our own attitude and behavior. Thanks so much for your comment.
Great Bible references to overcome loneliness Pastor Joshua. I think we all go through “cycles of loneliness, self-doubt, discouragement, and worry); I call them “down time.” What I have found is that the closer I am to God, the fewer my “down time” moments become. Oh to be sure, I still experience them from time-to-time, but reminding myself of Psalm 23:4 “… for thou art with me …” gives me the courage to overcome them for I realize that I am never truly alone. As introverted as I prefer to be, God is my constant companion. In Him, I am never alone. God’s blessings my friend; great post.
This is such great insight, J.D.
I appreciate your perspective, and I think you’re exactly right. The closer to God we are in our relationship with Him, the less loneliness and “down time” we experience. His desire is to draw us closer to Him and when that happens, we feel loved instead of loneliness.
So much truth in here! God created us for fellowship, so when it is lacking of course we feel out of place. What a comfort to be reminded that God never leaves us and He also desires us to have mutually beneficial relationships here on earth. I love “Loneliness is actually about the way we view ourselves and our relationship with God.”
Thank you, Barb. That’s a hard realization I’ve come to in my faith. I want to blame loneliness on other people, but it’s really my own view of God and my own value. That’s difficult to admit, but vital to overcoming the feeling of being alone. I appreciate your encouragement.
An excellent post, Pastor. Thank you. I am strangely comforted by Isaiah 55:8-9. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Some people find these verses intimidating and harsh. I view them as a reminder that God is with me – even if He is not working on my schedule and doing what I would do.
I think Isaiah 55:8-9 are very comforting verses. It’s so helpful to remember that God sees things in a more complete way than we do. Thank you for sharing this with us.