In 1 Kings 19, Elijah the man of God was ready to turn in his prophet’s badge. One of the greatest prophets in the entire Bible was burned out and bummed out. He was discouraged, depleted, and done.He was also extremely lonely.
Clearly he isn’t the only one to struggle with loneliness. King David cried out in despair to God in Psalm 25:16, describing himself as “lonely and afflicted.” Paul described a season of loneliness in 2 Timothy 4:16 when he wrote, ”no one came to support me, but everyone deserted me.” Even Jesus, in his darkest moment just hours before he was crucified, experienced some degree of human loneliness. All of his friends fell asleep, Judas betrayed him, and Peter denied him, eventually leading him to cry out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Clearly, if you’re lonely right now, you’re in good company. A recent Barna report observed that 43 percent of the pastors in the study who had considered quitting the ministry felt lonely and isolated. What’s ironic is we’ve never been more connected digitally, yet never more alone relationally. For the past two decades, through social media, we have been able to meet new people, reconnect with old friends, and stay in touch with family. How could we still be lonely? Because in a high-tech world, we still need a high touch church.
Continue reading this article in Christian Standard Magazine…
https://christianstandard.com/2025/03/avoiding-a-mount-carmel-meltdown/