It doesn’t have to be an Oprah Special every time we allow someone to come along side of us . . . but we should know that it is foolishness to keep ones' heart to themselves
How great does it feel . . . how unbelievably and reassuringly receiving to know that we are not alone.
I am not saying we aren’t alone in the universe or anything like that!
I am not even going on to the topic we have God with us always . . . although we do, because we are human, He has given us each other here on earth.
The great lie we face today among many others is this:
You are alone in what you are going through and you alone are just going to have to tough it out.
How sad and completely against everything God created us for to believe such a ridiculous concept.
It is the farthest thing from the truth.
Now lets talk for a second though about the time old tail of our feelings versus what is actually true.
Sure, it may feel like we are alone and granted, that is completely and absolutely a normal tendency to feel that way.
But I think we can all agree that when we feel a certain way, it is rarely the closest and clearest reflection of what is true, for our lives and the ones around us.
Another interesting part of feeling alone is where it leads us to going.
It almost says to us, “It’s okay to be alone . . . just learn how to manage and deal with life on your own.”
Sadly in our culture today, popular concepts like “You do you and I’ll do me” basically say that it’s okay to not work together in life and basically . . . “You go your way and I’ll go my way.”
Last time I checked, that isn’t God’s heart for any of His children.
In fact, you see the complete opposite in testimonies after testimonies of how God brings His children . . . together to live life in ways we could never hope to on our own.
Although we don’t have to look outside of our own walk with Him because He lives in us now, the Bible clearly gives a confirmation through story after story of it’s own accoutnings that God loves unity and coming together.
Jesus Himself didn’t “lone wolf” anything He did.
In fact, He brought together and led a group of young men who would be the beginning of something much bigger than themselves.
Joshua and Caleb led the Israelites together, fishing battle after battle and facing faithlessness amongst their people.
David had his Mighty Men in whom they had their greatest loyalties to and would fight along side David as if he was their king.
Moses and Aaron led the Israelites out of the biggest nation known to man at the time and faced challenges they would have never imagined along the way.
I could go on and on, story after story, account after account of God’s heart on this matter.
What is the point?
Not one of these great men was Lone Wolfing.
There were no lone wolves among them . . . and they took great strength in knowing they were not alone in every endeavor they faced as God led them.
Moses and Aaron depended on each other.
David depended on his Mighty Men.
Joshua needed Caleb by his side, someone who would stick it out through and through.
Jesus, the one in whom had no sin . . . here on earth depended on the young men He was given and form heaven was a Father in whom He greatly depended on for life itself.
So now why would we ever think that it would be better to not call a friend when we need to talk about something weighing heavily on our hearts?
Do we think that little of ourselves we would consider that burdensome to someone who we consider a friend who would most likely offer their shoulder to help carry those burdens we do?
It’s always in the little ways we compromise our strength of heart that leaves us weak and vulnerable to believing lies about our life and those lives around us.
It isn’t just the hard things we go through either though.
For me lately, God is teaching me to let others into the exciting and celebratory experiences as well as the hard challenges.
That can be both just as vulnerable and hard as it would be to share with a buddy a struggling marriage or dreams that don’t seem to be developing at all.
Not Lone Wolfing means doing the opposite.
It means running with the pack that God has given you.
Open your eyes to all He has provided you with . . . for He never leaves you lacking.
Remember, having friends isn’t enough now and days, not with Facebook and Instagram and Twitter watering down the essence of true relationship with each other.
Saying we have friends can be about as meaningful as flowers on Valentines day.
We must be careful what that means.
I wrote a song the other day and recorded it and was really excited about it. A part of me just wanted to enjoy that excitement alone.
But there was a part of me that wanted to share it.
So I did.
And let me tell you, that was more fulfilling than keeping it to myself. It made it more exciting.
I was struggling with loneliness and pain from a past relationship . . . and I was tempted to keep it to myself because I felt like a broken record repeating the same old thing.
Instead I just opened up to a buddy one night over beers and cigars and when I did I realized that a necessary part of the healing process was to just talk about it!
We tend to overcomplicate things.
But this is simple even though from moment to moment it can seem complex.
Lone Wolfing isn’t what God intended, for there is great strength in sharing and opening our lives and hearts to all that is going on within.
It doesn’t have to be an Oprah series special every time we allow someone to come along side of us . . . but we should know that it is foolishness to keep ones' heart to themself.
