Lonely to Loved by Mande Mae

What’s the reason for so many teens feeling alone?

If we look at the opposite of loneliness, we find accompanied, sociable, popular. But what if it was deeper than that? What if we dove into the root of feeling lonely, the root of why people isolate themselves? I would argue it’s due to the absence of love, the absence of feeling that fulfillment that only Christ provides. 

How do you recognize loneliness? 

Although you may not admit it to yourself, it’s crucial to know whether or not you are lonely so that you can create a change. 

When I was young, I went through an enduring rut—sleeping in until 2pm, going to bed past midnight, failing to find a lost confidence when with people. And I didn’t even realize it. I had friends and I spent time with my family, but in my mind I was alone in the feeling. 

This is an easy habit to fall into—ignoring an unpopular emotion, an unspoken, well kept secret. I urge those of you who feel alone in a crowded room to glance into the mental mirror and consider if your current companions are solid and consistent . . . or are just there when the weather is nice. 

The JED Foundation points out that, “Sometimes people have friends, but still feel lonely.”

Your classmates, teammates, best friends, and acquaintances may all feel this way without discerning it. So may you. Loneliness can spread like an infection, staining your mindset, pulling you into the unease no matter who is around. And even those surrounded by people can feel it.

It’s important to know that you are not the only one. 

I, along with almost every other teenager, have dealt with this. According to an article by Diego Lopez and Arun Rath on wgbh.org, “About 73% of 16 to 24-year-olds say they struggle with (loneliness).” 

In teens and young adults, lonely is more common than ordinary; it’s frequent, and it often leads to a worse fate than just feeling alone.

The National Library of Medicine states, “Loneliness is correlated with suicide, and the knowledge about this association could assist in the identification of suicidal individuals…” 

So, this emotion that many don’t pay mind to can turn out ending lives and opening a door to more lonely individuals. If we acknowledge the loneliness in people around us, we can clear up the deeper difficulties, the life-threatening attempts at suicide. 

In a twisted world full of concern there is clarity. In darkness there is a light. In loneliness there is the unconditional love of an everlasting friend. 

Discover the ways of love, true love—Jesus’s love. 

It’s a flood that can carry anyone, whirl a lost child, or fill a joyous heart.

Eventually, I outweighed my loneliness by remembering that no one can feel unconditionally confident unless they feel unconditionally loved. 

John 15:13 tells us, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” That’s what Jesus did for us.

The remedy for a lonely soul is a loving one, and Jesus Christ is the source, the powerhouse of love. So choose your source wisely. Like a blanket over ice-cold skin, so is His love to the lonely. And you can find it through commitment, worship, and more.

It’s like air—His company. It’s inescapable so long as you are brave enough to breathe. So breathe throughout your storms, for you are loved. You are seen. And you are never truly alone.

The acknowledgement of Jesus’s sacrifice encouraged me to live for Him because he died for me. Jesus’s sacrificial unconditionality is what frees vanity and binds one’s confidence bit by bit. 

Only love can transform a lonely heart into a confident one. So transform your recent recognition of loneliness by replacing it with Christ.

Because He is love.