We’ve reached the point in the year where we celebrate, celebrate, celebrate! Holidays are usually when families come together; we often eat more than we should and reminisce on moments when life was much more straightforward. I love the holidays because they give me a reason to watch one holiday movie a day and try out different baked goods that cause me to smile. Although the Holidays are filled with beautiful decorations, festive music, and tasty food, many people struggle to overcome different challenges during the Holiday Season. What do you do when you suffer from missing loved ones who’ve transitioned? How do you cope with job or friend loss during the Holiday Season? What do you do if you struggle to overcome loneliness during the Holiday Season?
1. Don’t forget to depend on God through prayer.
Prayer is our direct communication with a loving God. We often pray about our desires, problems at work, and issues with our family, but we can also pray about our emotional and mental health as well. Loneliness doesn’t have to saturate and lead our lives, but we can pray to God about loneliness and our feelings toward this challenging emotion. Loneliness is a form of sadness when one has no friends or company. In times of loneliness, we should never forget what Jesus says in Matthew 28:20: And be sure: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Loneliness is not always something we can tackle ourselves, but prayer leads us to God, and that’s always the right direction.
2. Seek positive influences that will encourage you.
We often don’t naturally speak positively to ourselves. As loneliness creeps in, it is essential to seek positive influences that can encourage us and remind us that we aren’t alone and that there are good things in life. Loneliness focuses on sadness and the truth of what has left us. Loneliness is most potent when we are alone and when it paralyzes us to stay alone. We can overcome loneliness this holiday season by fighting back by seeking positive influences such as going to the gym, being around uplifting people at a Bible Study or a small group, and possibly being around support groups that will advocate for positive self-talk. Overcoming loneliness means we deny the invitation to stay alone and rsvp to the positivity party by stepping into a positive community.
3. Know that you are unique but not the only one fighting loneliness.
One of the lies we utter to ourselves is that due to the vast problem we are experiencing, the problem is so big and nuanced that no one has ever experienced our problem before. This isn’t true because a recent study revealed that sixty-one percent of Americans feel lonely during the holidays [1]. This shows the truth that intentional community is needed, and there could be people suffering from the loneliness you encounter daily.
4. Take a leap of faith this Holiday Season.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said,
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face. You can say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along. You must do what you think you cannot do.”
This Holiday Season may be different, and it is okay to miss loved ones who are no longer here. But with new challenges can be new opportunities. Choose to be happy! Spend time in various communities, see a light show, and say yes when invited to the holiday party. Take a leap of faith and fight back against loneliness. With our prayers, community, realizations, and leaps of faith, we can fight against loneliness while finding ourselves in the presence of God. Life changes, but God never does! And we are never alone because God is with us! Enjoy this Holiday Season, and with faith, fight on.
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