| 美國貓王普里斯萊，死前六個星期，曾有記者問他：「貓王，你剛出道的時候，曾說你一生要得到三樣東西：金錢、名聲和快樂。請問你現在快樂嗎？」 貓王回答：「不，我現在跟死人一樣寂寞」。 有錢，有名，卻仍然寂寞。乍聽之下，貓王的話似乎很粗魯，但仔細一想，「沒錯，他講的很對，死人真的很寂寞。」 也許你是個寂寞的人。我知道有些寂寞的人，活著就跟了一樣孤寂。 ●在人群中感到孤單 你有沒有經歷過，在人群中仍感到孤單？有些世界上最寂寞的人，卻住在人口最密集的大都市中。 芝加哥市有位婦女，從十四樓高的公寓跳下，當場斃命。她留下遺書說明她自殺的原因─她太寂寞了。一位記者採訪她的鄰居，鄰居慨嘆：「但願我早知道她那麼寂寞就好了。我自己也很寂寞啊！」這兩個寂寞的人互為鄰居那麼久，卻從沒有打過招呼。 好一陣子前，波特蘭來奧勒崗人報，刊登了一則著名臨床心理醫師自殺的消息。這位醫師留下一張字條給同事： 「今晚我覺得好累、好孤單，突然覺得自己好蒼老。只有當你們也這麼累，這麼孤單，這麼蒼老時，才能完全誕解我此刻的感受。」 一位受過專業訓練，原本該幫助人尋找人生意義的行家，卻親手結束了自己的生命！多諷刺啊！ 這種寂寞絕不只是心理上的問題，更是靈性上的問題。你沒有辦法隱藏這種感覺，因它會不斷啃噬你的心。拒絕上帝，遠離上帝的結果就是這種可惜的隔絕和孤獨感──永無止盡。 ●誰是你最好的朋友？ 你可以戰勝寂寞，只要你回轉歸向上帝。耶穌答應過，祂永不會離棄把生命交託給祂的人。聖經說：「有一朋友比弟兄更親密」（箴言十八章二十四節）這個朋友就是耶穌基督。信靠耶穌，我們就能不斷享有上來的同在和扶持。現在就邀請耶穌臨到你的生活中，把寂寞趕出去吧！ 家父在我十歲那年過世。每次我想念他時，就唱一首歌，那是我在阿根廷一所英國寄宿學校學來的：「最好的朋友是耶穌。最好的朋友是耶穌。每天只要跟著祂，祂會幫我幫到底。最好的朋友是耶穌」。耶穌也是你最好的朋友嗎？ 耶穌基督能以祂持久的平安，填滿我們寂寞的生命。寂寞會在人心裏造成焦慮，我們不但寂寞，還因而感到傷痛、憂愁，這絕不是上帝要我們過的生活，聖經說，應當一無掛慮（腓立比書四章六節），但我們仍擔心自己會老死孤獨，或無法打進某個熱鬧的團體，不要憂愁，禱告吧！你的寂寞會消退的。 當你禱告過後，上帝答應，祂所賜出人意外的平安必在基督耶穌裏保守我們的心懷意念（腓立比書四章七節）。只要你肯祈求耶穌做你的朋友，祂的平安會充滿你，除掉你的寂寞憂傷。 你的心是否因寂寞而傷痛呢？是不是有時候一整天都沒有人跟你說話？是不是很難過呢？是不是曾經懷疑過這世界到底還有誰關心你的死活？ 主耶穌關心你。祂是那麼關心你，以致甘願為你的罪而死。耶穌期望拯救你，赦免你，做你永遠的好朋友。耶穌答應過：我總不撇下你，也不丟棄你（希伯來書十三章五節）。信靠祂的友情和應允吧，把寂寞徹底打垮！耶穌基督愛你，祂正等著你下決心。現在就做如下的禱告，請耶穌來做你的救主： 親愛的主，有時我真的好寂寞，不知道人生還有什麼意義。現在我知道了，只要你成為我生命的主宰，人生就會開始有意義。主耶穌，謝謝你為我的罪死在十字架上，又為我從死裏復活。我現在很寂寞，我需要你，請你現在就做我的朋友和救主，賜給我永恆的溫暖，趕走寂寞的陰霾。阿們 Six weeks before he died, Elvis Presley was asked by a reporter, “Elvis, when you started playing music, you said you wanted three things in life: You wanted to be rich, you wanted to be famous, and you wanted to be happy. Are you happy, Elvis?” Elvis replied, “No. I’m as lonely as hell.” Rich. Famous. But lonely. At first Elvis’s remark seemed offensive. But then I thought, “No. It’s actually well put. Hell is a lonely place.” Maybe you, too, are that lonely. For some very lonely people, hell begins here on earth. ●ALONE IN THE CROWD? Have you ever been surrounded by people, yet felt alone in the crowd? Some of the loneliest people in the world live in cities with populations reaching into the millions. A Chicago woman died when she jumped off the 14th floor of her apartment building. The note she left explained she killed herself because she was lonely. A reporter interviewed the woman’s neighbor, who said, “I wish I’d known she was lonesome. I’m lonesome myself.” Here were two lonely people who lived next door to each other, yet never bothered to say “Hello.” Some time ago, the Portland Oregonian printed a story about a well-known clinical psychologist who killed himself. In a note left to his staff, the psychologist said: Tonight I feel tired, alone, and suddenly very old. The full understanding of these feelings will come only when you, too, are tired, alone, and old. An educated man trained to help others find meaning in life failed to find it himself, and took his own life. How ironic! That kind of loneliness isn’t merely a psychological matter. It’s a spiritual problem. It is caused by our separation from God. Our attempts to hide our lonely feelings are useless because the emptiness always returns. Rejecting God causes isolation and loneliness―forever. ●WHO’S YOUR BEST FRINED? We can defeat loneliness by turning to God for companionship. Jesus Christ promised that He will never leave or forsake those who commit their lives to Him. The Bible says, There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs: 18:24). This friend is Jesus Christ. By believing and putting our faith in Jesus. We can enjoy God’s presence and friendship on a continuing basis. Ask Jesus Christ to fill your life with His presence and beat loneliness. My father died when I was 10 years old. When I was lonesome for Dad, I would sing this song I learned in a British boarding school in Argentina: “The best friend to have is Jesus. The best friend to have is Jesus. If you follow every day, He will help you on the way. The best friend to have is Jesus.” Is Jesus your best friend? ●DEFEATING LONELINESS I believe Jesus Christ is the fundamental answer to all basic problems of humanity, including loneliness. Christ can fill your lonely life with His happiness and joy. The Bible says, Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4) When we acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Savior and center our lives on Him, Jesus gives us the power to rejoice always and in everything, and our loneliness dissipates! Jesus Christ can fill our lonely lives with His permanent peace. Our loneliness causes a wretched anxiety to tug within us. We’re lonely. We hurt. We worry. This is not the kind of life God intends for us. The Bible says, Do not be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6). Yet we fret we’ll always be a lonely single or we’ll never be one of the gang at work. Instead of worrying, pray and watch your loneliness fade. And then God gives us a wonderful promise. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). When you ask Christ to be your Friend and Savior, His peace fills your heart, and removes your loneliness and anxiety.
Does your heart sometimes ache with loneliness? Have you ever lived and entire day without talking to anyone, or having anyone talk to you? How did you feel? Do you ever wonder if anyone cares whether you live or die? Jesus Christ cares! He cares so much for you that He died in your place for your sins. Jesus longs to be your Savior, to forgive your sins and to be your friend for eternity. Jesus promised, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Believe in His promise of eternal friendship and defeat loneliness forever! Jesus Christ loves you and is waiting for you to make a decision. You can ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior right now by praying:
Dear Lord, sometimes I am so lonely that I wonder if life is worth living. Now I know that a life centered on You is the only worthwhile life. Lord Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for my sins and then rising from the dead to give me life. I am lonely and I need You. Please be my Friend and Savior. Replace my loneliness with Your eternal friendship. Amen.
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