| What to do when you are not one of the crowd?
‘What are people saying about me? I see them whisper, nudge each other, and give me funny looks, but when I come up to them, they are suddenly quiet. They are laughing at me, and I don’t know why. I don’t belong anywhere.’
Sound familiar? Such experiences are not so uncommon. Whether in the classroom or the office, many are feeling hurt and left out.
How to cope when you don’t feel as if you belong:
- Know that you are special to God. The more others seem to ignore or reject you, the more He cares for you. Not one of our tears goes unnoticed. In fact, He has promised to wipe away all our tears when we go to be with Him for ever.
- Remember He sent us His Son Jesus Christ to be our friend. We have His word that He will never let us down or desert us. As the Man of Sorrows, acquainted with grief, despised and rejected, Jesus knows best how to comfort those who don’t have a good deal in life.
- Focus on what Jesus suffered to bring you everlasting happiness. The more you thank Him for what He did, the more you will love Him. Your love for Him will overflow in love for others. This will so enrich your life that you will forget about yourself, which is what is really making you unhappy.
- Feed on the Word of God. Let it sink deep into your heart. Repeat to yourself the Bible verses containing wonderful assurances of His love and friendship. The Book of Psalms is a good starter.
- Don’t be afraid of loneliness. Regard it as a gateway to a new encounter with God and unimagined blessings.
When all your hopes
are shattered,
when people disappoint you,
remember there is someone
who will never disappoint you,
someone who will love you
to the very end—
and that is JESUS! MB
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For more on this topic, you might enjoy reading The Hidden Treasure in Suffering by M. Basilea Schlink:
| ‘The Lord in His love has planned pathways of loneliness for us, not so that our hearts will be tormented or embittered, but so that we shall seek Him and draw closer to Him. Jesus is waiting to be found by us. He will give Himself to us and our hearts will find abundant peace and joy in Him … Love Him, and your loneliness will be transformed into communion with Him and bring you everlasting joy with Him one day above. As a result of your communion with Him, you will find ways of showing love to others, for instance, by praying for them, and you will have no more time to think about how lonely you are without the love of others. If you love Jesus and your fellow beings, your life will become fruitful, and one day you will go home to the Lord with a bountiful harvest.’ |
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