All I Want for Christmas: Filling the Void of Loneliness

"It's that time of year, when the world falls in love; Every song you hear seems to say, Merry Christmas! May your New Year dreams come true." (The Christmas Waltz) 

Christmas is in the air. You can hear the holiday classics blaring in every department store. The month of December is full of Christmas parties, church cantatas, neighborhood caroling and exchange gifts with those you love. 

It certainly seems like the "time of year when the world falls in love" and everyone appears to be...happier. But the glaring truth for those who deal with loneliness is, it seems to be that time of year when the world has a significant other except you. 
When Loneliness Invades Your Soul
"We want to complexify our lives...for if we had leisure, we would look at ourselves and listen to our hearts and see the great gaping hole in our hearts and be terrified, because that hole is so big that nothing but God can fill it." (Peter Kreeft)

There are two ways we try to handle loneliness in our own strength:

1. Wallow in self-pity and depression
2. Become busy and ignore the nagging feelings deep within 

My personal default mode has been the latter. I spent the past two Christmases working on ministry projects and ignoring most festive events because of my legit excuse of preparing for the Australia APJ tours. If I had been honest with myself, I would have discovered that there was a large void in my heart and a hurt that was not going to go away on its own. Would Christmas ever be the same?

A Call to Die to Self

The commercialization of Christmas has produced a generation of selfish children who grow up to be teenagers and young adults with a heart that begs to know, "What-can-I-get versus what-can-I-give". 

I've wanted this Christmas to be different, to remember what the true meaning of Christmas really is. Here is something that has been guarding my heart this Christmas season: Jesus Christ was born to die and I have been born to die as well. 

I have been born spiritually so that I can die daily to self. I have found freedom this year; freedom to be the young woman God has called me to be and guess what? God has give me back the joy of Christmas! 

Here are a few things I'd like to encourage you to do:

1. Remember the reason for the season! "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
2. Allow the Prince of Peace to fill the lonely void "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)
3. Look for ways to give to others and share the reason for the season. Allow the words of Jesus to be lived out in you and through you, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

"Look for yourself and you will find loneliness and despair, but look for Christ and you will find Him and everything else." (C.S. Lewis)