Loneliness can be experienced by anyone at anytime but the main people who experience it are:-

• The lonely single - When you have no one to share life with then things can very difficult for people. It is important to interact with work, family, friends and others. You can't sleep all the time! What are you to do? Occupy your time with others and not just yourself.
• The lonely spouse - You can be lonely in a marriage. If one spouse works long hours and you are apart working parallel lives. Marriage is supposed to be intimate with the sharing of lives that interact. You need to make quality time together.
• The lonely survivor - The loved one has died and the grief and loneliness can be intense. Divorce can feel just as bad because of feelings of rejection and failure.
• The lonely senior citizen - They are no longer feeling needed. They may have no partner or work. They wonder if there is anything else they can do now they are retired.
• The lonely sufferer - The person is going through suffering without any help.
• The lonely servant of God - Those that go out into the mission field or Christian ministry can become disconnected from all they know. See Numbers 11:14. When you lead it can be lonely leaving behind family and lifetime friends for new places and cultures.

It is not a sin to feel loneliness. There are plenty of instances in the Bible. Here are three examples of great characters in the Bible going through great loneliness.

• David - See Psalm 102:3-7 and Psalm 142:4. David would become a great king of Israel. Yet, for much of his early life he was a fugitive running for his life from Saul.
• Jeremiah - See Jeremiah 9:2. He was known as the "weeping prophet". He wrote the book of Lamentations which was a solemn message. He was delivering God's message but no one was listening and Jeremiah was alone. His message was not popular. Jeremiah had to do it for forty years! He brought his feelings to God.
• Apostle Paul - See 2 Timothy 4:9-16. He was often lonely. He stood alone as others left him. We may be alone but it is not a sin - unless we indulge it. We are lonely but never alone. God is always there. Don't let loneliness take over your life.

There are a number of things we can do to alleviate loneliness.

• Acknowledge the reality - We think that God is with us and that we shouldn't ever feel lonely. It is true but we should be a caring friend and not just give a stock answer. You can't deny the feeling. It is real.
• Accept God's provisions - We have an emptiness that needs a relationship with the Almighty God. In very difficult times it is impossible to cope without the inner strength that God provides. See Matthew 27:46. Jesus bore the sin of the whole world and God the Father turned His back on Jesus. When Jesus is resurrected from the dead, the Holy Spirit is sent to live inside each believer as a comforter. The non-Christian does not have the Holy Spirit and is empty. Your relationship with God is important to combat loneliness.
• Allow God's Word to fill your heart and mind - Let God speak to you through His Word. If you read the Bible, God will speak to you! See Psalm 27:10 and Hebrews 13:5-6. There are many such words to encourage us.
• Activate your network of Christian friends - Loneliness is a choice. You don't have to linger in the house. There is the Holy Spirit, Bible and Church. The saints of God are to help and encourage others. To be a friend you need to be friendly! See Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. There is strength in numbers. God does His best work through people.