Empathy Is an Antidote to Loneliness

[Empathy Is an Antidote to Loneliness]( Current Teaching Series [Hearing the Voice of God]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Empathy Is an Antidote to Loneliness]( By Rick Warren — 09/30/2021 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( “The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear." 2 Timothy 4:16-17 (NLT) Eventually, everyone experiences loneliness. Loneliness isn’t prevented or fixed by beauty, wealth, fame, or success. Even marriage doesn’t protect you against loneliness. Many people marry because they’re lonely and divorce a few years later for the same reason. The apostle Paul’s life goal—even toward the very end when he was dying alone—was for other people know about Jesus. In 2 Timothy he talks about being brought alone before a judge. All his friends had abandoned him. But he kept his eyes focused on the spiritual needs of the people around him: “But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear” (2 Timothy 4:16-17 NLT). He focused on others because he knew everyone needed to hear about God’s love. He could have focused on his own problems, but instead he looked at what he could do to help others. It kept him from being lonely, even when he was alone. When you’re lonely, don’t have a pity party. Stop saying, “I’m alone. Nobody loves me; nobody even likes me.” When you do that, you’re just focusing on yourself. Instead, turn your focus outward and build bridges to others. You’ll find there are a lot of lonely people who are also looking for connection. How can you build bridges of connection? One way is by empathizing with other people’s needs. And remember to ask God to help you connect with others. Pray something like this: “Father, help me be a friend to people who need a friend.” What’s causing loneliness in your life? Extreme seasons of transition, separation, rejection, or opposition can lead to devastating feelings of loneliness. For instance, much of the world experienced loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. But don’t let difficult times keep you from reaching out to people. Look beyond your own problems and find creative ways to connect with others. Empathy is the antidote to loneliness. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - Are you lonely in this season of your life? Why or why not? - How have you become less lonely in the past by focusing on other people instead of yourself? - Spend a few minutes asking for God’s help to connect with other people. Ask him to show you someone who’s lonely. Commit to reaching out to that person this week. The post [Empathy Is an Antidote to Loneliness]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. 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[LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 3 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Hearing the Voice of God. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: God Wants to Talk With You Message 2: Recognizing God's Voice Message 3: Getting God's Vision for My Life [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2021 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States