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For
the Lonely
In
his book Facing
Loneliness, J. Oswald Sanders writes, “the round
of pleasure or
the amassing of wealth are but vain attempts to escape
from the persistent ache … The millionaire is
usually a lonely man and the comedian is often more
unhappy than his audience.”
Sanders emphasizes that being successful often
fails to produce lasting satisfaction.
The
truthfulness of Sanders’ statements have been
verified once again with the passing of Brad Delp, the
lead singer for the band "Boston",
who committed suicide last week in his Atkinson, NH,
home. Police
reports released yesterday reported that a note was
paper-clipped to the neck of Delp’s shirt when
police found his body on the bathroom floor, his head
on a pillow. The
note read,
“Mr.
Brad Delp. J’ai
une ame solitaire.
I am a lonely soul.”
How
could someone so SUCCESSFUL be so LONELY?
Is there a CURE for this “persistent
ache” ?
The
root of this “persistent ache” reflects the
very reason for our being...
You see, God did NOT create a world where He is
unnecessary; WE were created to have an
intimate relationship with our Creator.
SIN, however, separates us from Him (Isaiah
59:1-2). And
though we may try to fill the VOID with pleasure,
wealth, and worldly success, NOTHING this world can
offer can completely quench our soul’s thirst.
The
GOOD NEWS is that Jesus died on the cross for our sins
so that WE can be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians
5:18-21). Through
Jesus our “persistent ache” is healed, and
we recognize the meaning to life and the key to
eternal life.
To
be reconciled to God, one must: believe
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) in His name for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38; 22:16).
Then, Jesus has promised that if we will
continue to follow Him faithfully, that He will be
with us and we will live with Him eternally. “For He
Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor
forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).
Jesus
DIED for the lonely – for ALL of those who have
been separated from God due to sin (and that includes
ALL of us!). He
endured the cruel loneliness of the cross so that WE
might be united with God – forever!
Won’t
YOU respond in trusting
obedience?
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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