We all know what it feels like to experience loneliness in our lives.
Erin Davis shares how God used a season of loneliness to teach her several important lessons. In her season of loneliness, she cried out to God for companionship and relationships.
“’Lord send me a group of friends who love to eat sushi and will let me borrow their jewelry‘. That’s what I wanted; I wanted him to send me people.”
Instead of sending her what she wanted immediately, God revealed the deep-seeded issues in her own heart that were contributing to her loneliness.
“The first thing, He really walloped me with was how worried I was about having the right friends and what a terrible friend I often was to others.
She quickly realized that her loneliness wasn’t something that was imposed upon her. Instead, it was the result of a series of relationship choices she made that brought her to a place of loneliness.
“I didn’t let conversations go deep because underneath the surface there are a lot of imperfections and I didn’t want people to see those things.”
Erin also admits to making other relationship mistakes that contributed to her lack of friends.
“I kept my schedule so full that there was no room for friendship off the clock. I dropped people easily if I was annoyed by them or the friendship wasn’t going the way I thought it would.”
Erin made the cardinal mistake of centering the relationships and friendships in her life around herself and not the other party. This focus on herself caused her to toss people aside when the relationship hit a rough patch. God allowed Erin to experience a season of loneliness so He could show her how to be a better friend.
“I was asking the Lord to fix my loneliness by sending me people. He was really convicting me about how I hadn’t been a good friend.”
First she had to undergo the difficult process of renewal in her own heart before she was able to have fulfilling friendships, and it wasn’t fun.
“I’m really grateful because I know I wouldn’t have seen those sinful patterns otherwise.”
For the rest of the story about how God used loneliness in Erin’s life, check out her book, .
Key Scriptures: Revelation 22:17
Featured Songs: If We Ever Needed You by Casting Crowns; Before the Throne by Selah; No Other Name by Hillsong Worship
