LONELINESS

By Lindy Peterson, LPC and Dr. Nicole Fitzpatrick, Licensed Psychologist, LSSP

Loneliness poses a significant threat to our mental health in the world today even more so since the pandemic began. It cuts across generations and is reaching around the world. Millions of people today are living with sparse human contact and research tells us that lonely people are more likely to become ill, experience cognitive decline, and are losing hope more than ever before.  According to recent research, two-thirds of adults today indicated they are experiencing social isolation, and 66% say their anxiety levels have increased during the pandemic.  Social distancing measures are intensifying existing feelings of loneliness, and appear to be more pronounced in older adults, particularly women.  Furthermore, more than half of adults, 50years or older, have reported marked feelings of social isolation during the pandemic.  Interestingly, only 11% of survey respondents turned to mental health professionals when feeling sad or down, and almost one third of people age 50 and over said they didn’t turn to anyone for support.  

Two studies reported that millennials are also experiencing the highest levels of loneliness and suicidal thoughts throughout the pandemic. 80% of students surveyed for the Active Minds Survey reported experiencing loneliness and isolation; putting it among the top 3 most common problems they dealt with (alongside stress/anxiety and discouragement/sadness).  Loneliness was considered to be an epidemic for millennialsprior to the pandemic, but the isolation is only serving to exacerbate its effects.

As believers, we have the greatest tools to deal with loneliness, a life giving personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  In a recent article from Focus on the Family, loneliness was referred to as an opportunity, even referred to as a gift.  How can loneliness be considered a gift when often we want to avoid or run from it?  In Philippians 4:8, Paul says, “whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.”  While it is challenging for sure, loneliness can be something we can learn to praise God through and in the midst of, if we find hope in the fact that we are not alone, God is with us and will sustain us and we fix our minds on Jesus to help us get through periods ofloneliness.

If we can ask God to help us see loneliness as an opportunity, loneliness can open our hearts to others and soften our hearts to love others more.  Countless times in the past months, we’ve heard quotes from others about how people now appreciate things that they were taking for granted. For example, the freedom to attend church and worship with fellow believershas become so much more precious in the hearts of many who had become complacent about attending every Sunday.Receiving a note in the mail or kind text from a friend means so much to let us know someone is thinking about us and cared enough to take the time to write their thoughts down.

Loneliness can open us to seeking God in a deeper way.   When we’re lonely, if we hold on to God and His Word, we don’t have to fall into despair.  We can find His comfort, love,and healing by hearing His voice.  We need time with God, and in ordinary times, we often fill our time and calendar up with “busyness,” trying to surround ourselves with people and activities thinking that will prevent loneliness and find ourselves leaving God out of the equation.  However, these are often just distractions; the truth is that most people feel lonely even when surrounded by others and activity filled schedules.  Why you may ask? While the activities allow us to be around other people, many reported not feeling connected to others due to the void of emotional sharing.  Thus, people stay distracted and busy often to avoid even sharing about their own feelings for fear of being rejected or not included.  Proverbs 18:24 says, “but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.”  God is our constant and never leaves us.  There is no loneliness in Hispresence if we call on Him.   Once we recognize we are accepted by God, it can open the door for us to be vulnerable with others and share about our loneliness or whatever other feelings we may be having, from a faith place of acceptance that overshadows our fear of rejection.  Matthew 11:28; Isaiah 43:2; 1 Cor. 2:5-9

Loneliness can help strengthen our character in Christ.  We can be assured God cares for us.  He knows loneliness.  Jesus experienced the greatest loneliness when after all of his disciples deserted him, while receiving the wrath of God in our place on the cross, was even forsaken by His Father.  We become more aware of our weaknesses and deficiencies and need for Godwhen we are lonely, because we are not distracted. As Paul said in 2 Cor. 12, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

If you’re experiencing loneliness, know that you are not alone!  It is clear that at many times throughout this pandemic we have felt alone, but take heart God is there and there are people out there that care. Here are some practical suggestions to win the battle over loneliness:• Pray day-by-day and read God’s Word to enjoy fellowship with God.  • Call a close friend and schedule time to have a meaningful conversation either in person, phone or Face Time.  Ask for prayer if you are in need.  Knowing someone is praying for you can be such a blessing and comfort in times of loneliness.• Reengage with believers in your church family.  With the pandemic, we have to be more creative; meeting virtually, outside or coming back to church.  Research has shown that those who gathered during the pandemic were less implicated by mental health ails during this time.  • Find a hobby or activity that you can gather some acquaintances around and find a mutually convenient time to get together online.  Learning a new skill or reconnecting with an activity you previously enjoyed is a great way to deepen relationships and challenge your brain in a new waythat will build new neural pathways and help growrelationships as well. • God has provided methods for us to continue to sharpen each other. Reach out to a friend with an encouraging word, write a Scripture on your mirror or sticky note to remind yourself of who you are in Christ and let people know when you are having a difficult time and how they can pray and encourage you (Proverbs 27:17  “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”)• Most importantly, look at yourself from God’s point of view.  Study scriptures that affirm your identity in Christ. Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:6• Specific Scriptures addressing loneliness:  Psalms 145:18-19; Deuteronomy 31:6; Matthew 11:28-30; Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 43:2; I Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6-7

Loneliness is a challenge that is affecting everyone in some wayat this time. If you or a loved one has experienced loneliness and need to talk to someone, or if you have more questions about how loneliness is impacting you, please do not hesitate to contact us at the Hyde Park Counseling Center.

References

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/get-help/the-gift-of-loneliness                                                            “The Gift of Loneliness”

https://www.bbrfoundation.org/blog/how-stay-mentally- healthy-amidst-covid-19-pandemic?            2020 International Mental Health Research Virtual Symposium; “How to Stay Mentally Healthy Amidst the Covid-19  Pandemic”

https://www.healthline.com/health-news: “Adults Under 24: The Loneliest Age Group During Covid-19 Restrictions”

https:/www.aarp.org/home-family/friends-family/info-2020/isolation-survey-coronavirus         “Pandemic Has Created Loneliness Epidemic”

https:/www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus/loneliness-during-coronavirus                               “Loneliness During Coronavirus”

https://harvardmagazine.com/2021/01/feature-the-loneliness-pandemic                                                  “The Loneliness Pandemic”

https://www.askaboutmyfaith.com/verses-when-you-feel-alone/                                                                    “7 Bible Verses to Encourage You When You Feel Alone”

https://www1.cbn.com/bible-teaching-loneliness                                                                               “Loneliness”

THE BIBLE READING GUIDE

(August 2- August 22, 2020)

During the Covid-19 Global Pandemic millions of Americans have stopped reading the Bible! ( https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2020/07/22/pandemic-has-people/) In response to this development, at Hyde Park Baptist and The Quarries Church in Austin, Texas, I have issued the BIBLE READING CHALLENGE 2020. You will find the reading guide below. 

The chapters are some of the shortest you will find in the Bible so no one can argue they don’t have time to read the Bible daily. Even if you join late, you can easily catch up. Daily Bible reading can produce powerful results in your life so accepting this challenge can do nothing but help you.  (State of the Bible 2018: Seven Top Findings – Barna Group) Thanks for accepting the challenge!

READING GUIDE

Day 1, -1 John 1 (August 2)

Day 2, -1 John 2

Day 3, -1 John 3

Day 4,- 1 John 4

Day 5, – 1 John 5

Day 6, – Psalm 120

Day 7, – Psalm 121

Day 8,- Psalm 122

Day 9,- Psalm 123

Day 10,-Psalm 124

Day 11,-Psalm 125

Day 12,-Psalm 126

Day 13,-Psalm 127

Day 14, -Psalm 128

Day 15,- Ephesians 1

Day 16,-Ephesians 2

Day 17,-Ephesians 3

Day 18,-Ephesians 4

Day 19,-Ephesians 5

Day 20,- Ephesians 6

Day 21,-Jude (August 22)

Feel free to share this blog and the challenge with others! 

-JKB

The year 2020 will be remembered as one of the most disruptive and challenging years of our lives. The Coronavirus has changed us in ways we can immediately measure-like thousands of people getting sick or dying from the virus, as well as the economic devastation felt throughout the entire world. We have probably also been changed in ways we haven’t imagined yet. One thing we are sure of, however, is that all of us have been negatively affected. We are all in the midst of difficult days. 

One of the most unexpected changes affecting the Body of Christ was reported by the American Bible Society a few weeks ago-13 million Americans who were formerly read the Bible regularly, have stopped reading it all together since the Pandemic began. A director for the American Bible Society said, “What we saw between January and June was that 13 million people in America, who were previously really engaging meaningfully with Scripture, no longer were, and that was a serious drop-off.”

As a church, our ministries have always depended upon us being a Bible believing people, our classes committed to Bible teaching, and our pastors have all been focused on Bible preaching. All of those ministry commitments begin with a passion for individual Bible reading.  

We cannot reverse the inaction of 13 million people who have stopped reading the Word, but we can refuse to be guilty of it ourselves. So I’m offering our congregation a new Bible Reading Challenge 2020. I’m asking all of us to read one simple,  short chapter every day for the next 21 days beginning Sunday August 2  through Saturday August 22, 2020. Will you accept the challenge? 

All of the chapters I’ve chosen are easy and quick to read. Why did I choose short easy to read chapters? I want everyone to participate. Good habits like daily Bible reading can be established in 21 days and they can last a lifetime. There’s really no reason not to jump on board with this challenge. It all starts next Sunday August 2 and we will find multiple ways to communicate to our church family throughout the challenge. 

Thanks for being part of a Bible teaching, Bible believing, Bible reading church!

READING GUIDE

Day 1, -1 John 1 (August 2)

Day 2, -1 John 2

Day 3, -1 John 3

Day 4,- 1 John 4

Day 5, – 1 John 5

Day 6, – Psalm 120

Day 7, – Psalm 121

Day 8,- Psalm 122

Day 9,- Psalm 123

Day 10,-Psalm 124

Day 11,-Psalm 125

Day 12,-Psalm 126

Day 13,-Psalm 127

Day 14, -Psalm 128

Day 15,- Ephesians 1

Day 16,-Ephesians 2

Day 17,-Ephesians 3

Day 18,-Ephesians 4

Day 19,-Ephesians 5

Day 20,- Ephesians 6

Day 21,-Jude (August 22)

You can do it! Watch the 2 minute video below.

Kie Bowman 

Recently I’ve been asked the reason why Bible translations are often so different.  There are two primary explanations. The most significant reason has to do with the ancient manuscripts which the translations are based upon. The second reason relates to translation philosophy. Both reasons are important factors in determining the final product. Let’s quickly examine these two issues. 

TRANSLATION PHILOSOPHY 

A true translation, as opposed to a paraphrase like the Living Bible, is based on the original languages of Scripture. One of the goals of the translator is to communicate the ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek text into readable English (or whatever language the modern reader needs). It sounds simple enough, but there are numerous considerations to take into account when moving an ancient language into a modern one. 

For one thing, the most literal translation of the original language may not convey to the modern reader what was obvious to a reader 2000 years ago. Language is crammed with cultural assumptions and colloquiums, immediately relevant to the time in which it written, but sometimes confusing to readers generations later who are removed from the ancient cultures. 

Good teaching can clarify most of those issues, but translators have to decide if they want to begin that teaching process by building it into the translation itself. In other words, the exact literal words from an ancient language, moved to a modern language, may require some additional explanation to capture the true sense of the author’s intention.

Consider, for instance, the instructions of the Apostle Peter regarding our call to live holy lives. In the historic and beautiful King James Version the Apostle advised, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” (1 Peter‬ ‭1:13‬)

‭Perhaps you’re a biblical scholar and you get the meaning, but to the average American, what do you suppose it would mean to “gird up the loins of your mind”? Is that particular vocabulary, which employs a literal, though idiomatic, expression from Greek the best way to communicate the truth of the ancient Greek passage? After all, what does “girding the loins” have to do with our thinking process? Our minds don’t have “loins.” Obviously, Peter is using a metaphor of some kind, urging us to be mentally prepared. 

In Peter’s time, when men wore long robes, they would frequently need to pull the robe up between their legs and tuck the long cloth in their belts to free their legs for running, fighting, or working. In other words, “girding their loins” was a way of preparing for physical activity. So using the literal phrase, “gird up the loins of your mind” does not necessarily easily communicate to a modern reader what Peter meant, and what his ancient readers would have understood as a figure of speech. Obviously, Peter is urging us to be mentally prepared. 

Compare the literal King James passage to a couple of modern translations. The English Standard Version says, “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:13). The New International Version takes a similar approach,  “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” ‭‭(1 Peter‬ ‭1:13‬) 

So here are 3 translation choices for the same phrase: 

▪️“Gird up the loins of your mind” (KJV)

▪️“Preparing your minds for action” (ESV)

▪️“With minds that are alert and fully sober” (NIV)

The differences in translation reflect a different translation philosophy. The King James Version is literal and reflects a “word for word” literal translation. The modern versions instead usually choose a “thought for thought” translation, to give the modern reader the benefit of not only what Peter says, but also what he means. 

ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS 

The Bible is ancient literature. The oldest passages were written at least 3500 years ago and the most recent written passages are 2000 years old. We do not have any of the original manuscripts of any biblical book, but we have thousands of ancient copies in multiple languages. No other ancient literature in the world has anything close to the abundance of copies- from so close to the original writing- as the Bible enjoys. The translator’s  goal is to get back as close to the original manuscripts as possible so we can be confident of what the Bible’s authors originally wrote, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 

It isn’t unusual for someone to notice that the modern translations do not include all of the verses or phrases included in the King James Version. This obviously raises questions, especially for those of us who believe in the trustworthiness of Scripture to lead us to God and guide our lives. So, we are tempted to ask why the modern versions leave out verses. Perhaps the more important question is why does the King James Version add verses? 

Remember, the Bible is between 2000 and 3500 years old while the King James Version is only 500 years old. The translators seek to get as close to the original manuscripts as possible- not as close to the King James as possible. 

Think about how many things have changed since the early 17th century when the King James Version was translated. The 19th century, for instance, brought the world a flurry of advances unknown to previous generations. Medical advances increased lifespans and overall well being of entire populations. Travel became more affordable, faster, and safer than ever before. Communication options took giant strides forward. In the Western world there was an increase in almost every aspect of the quality of people’s lives, including a greater quest for global exploration and a desire for more scientific knowledge. Compared to any other time in history the 19th century was on the fast track to modernity. As a result, the science of archeological discovery enjoyed a “golden age.” This was true in nearly every field of enquiry- including the discovery of breathtakingly important ancient biblical manuscripts, even continuing into the 20th century. How does archeology affect biblical translation? 

The King James translators did not have access to the oldest manuscripts available, even though it is an older translation. Today, almost all of the modern translations are based on much older manuscripts- written much closer to the date of the originals- while the King James Version is based on newer and fewer manuscripts. Over time, as manuscripts were copied by hand, it is obvious some of the copyists, in some of the manuscripts, added sentences in a few places. The King James Version is based on these less reliable manuscripts. At first glance we may think we can never know, as a result, what the original manuscripts, written by the prophets and apostles, actually said. Nothing is further from the truth. The sheer abundance of manuscript evidence – the thousands of copies- leaves us today with the most reliable text any generation has ever had. We know what the Bible says. It is reflected in many of the modern English translations. 

WHAT ABOUT INERRANCY?

I am an inerrantist- in other words I believe the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is without error. Inerrancy is not a political or denominational position – it is a doctrinal position. So you may ask “If there are differences in the translations, how can one believe in inerrancy?” That’s a fair question with a direct answer. The doctrine of biblical inerrancy is a belief that the original manuscripts as the Spirit inspired them and as the prophets, apostles, and others wrote them, are completely without error. “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” ( 2 Peter 1:21) The transmission of the original text across the centuries has been incredibly pure and the sheer number of copies in numerous languages, along with ancient sermons and writings filled with enough Scripture to nearly reconstruct the Bible from those sources, demonstrate the reliability of our translations today.

We trust the Bible because it is the Word of God. Committed scholars, devoted to knowing the truth, have produced for us accurate Bible translations which are fully reliable. Whichever translation you choose remember, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

(2 Timothy 3:16-17)

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WELCOME TO REVELATION!