(This post has been updated since original publication.)

Last week’s devotion revealed What the Bible Says about Being Busy. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, click the title link to take you there.

In that post, we discovered someone else in Scripture (besides Martha) struggled with being too busy. Today we will uncover how busyness can lead to loneliness, and what we can do to guard against it.

I'm around people all the time at work and at home, so why do I still feel lonely?

Have you ever asked yourself this question? Have you found yourself in that place where you feel like you can’t get a moment of peace and quiet, yet you feel alone? Or maybe you interact on social media daily but still feel disconnected.

Busyness can draw us away from others.

Not long ago, I went to a local community event with my husband. I recognized faces of folks we’d known for years, and some we’d recently met. Yet as I searched through the crowd for a seat, a sobering thought came to me.

I didn’t feel like I knew any of them well enough to take a seat beside them and strike up a conversation.

Awkwardness grew while we stood there, scanning the rows for someone, anyone who might wave a friendly hand, signaling us to join them. But that didn’t happen, so we found a seat alone.

I thought about how many of those familiar faces were my friends on social media. I wondered why I didn’t feel comfortable approaching them for face-to-face conversation. Could it be that my time on social media was actually drawing me away from close relationships?

The convenience of connecting online gives the illusion that we’re saving time. When in reality, we’re just making more time to fill with more items on the to-do list.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b NIV

God loves relationship.

His Word assures us of His desire for relationship with us. Isaiah 41:10 says, So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

God’s love for relationship begins between us and Him, but it doesn’t stop there. He also teaches us the importance of relationships with one another.

“God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” Psalm 68:6 NLT

When we draw closer to Christ and then connect with others, something remarkable happens. Our relationships draw others to Christ.

As we meditate on these verses this week, let’s allow God to reveal where we can connect with others. Prioritizing relationships will guard our hearts against loneliness that comes from being too busy.

Need ideas for how to grow those friendships? My online and in-person friend Mitzi wrote Real Friends Build Each Other Up, where she shares a free printable with 8 Ways to Bless Your Friends. Feel free to click the link to check it out.

Blessings,

Kristine

The following is an excerpt from chapter 8 of Kristine's book, Over It. Conquering Comparison to Live Out God's Plan. To download the free Study Guide, or to find out more about the book, visit the book page here.

Though my sweet mother-in-law mentioned in the book has since gone to be with our Savior in heaven, the lessons I learned from Miss Maulene will stay with me forever.

“When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine. After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. ‘Sir, do you remember me?’ Hannah asked. ‘I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord.’” (1 Sam. 1:24-26).

My precious mother-in-law writes everything down. For as long as I can remember, I picture her sitting in her chair under the dim light of the side table lamp, penning the events of the day. She writes about who comes to visit, the weather, phone calls received, and anything else that reminds her of God’s goodness in her life.

At ninety years old, she still journals every single day. She also keeps her journals, so she can remember.

From her example I have discovered the benefits of writing things down. Some refer to this as a prayer journal—a place to write down our prayers and record how God responds to those prayers. Before I began journaling, I had a hard time remembering all God had done in my life—the miracles, the changes, the answers.

Writing things down cures this short-term memory loss.

In fact, in 20 Ways to Improve Your Memory, an article by psychology expert Kendra Cherry, writing things down is noted as an important tool for boosting memory.

That annoying comparison monster would love for us to forget God’s blessings and begin looking at others with envy. Hannah gives a great demonstration on how to remember, which brings us to our faith statement for this chapter:

We quiet the unwelcome voice of comparison by reminding ourselves of God's goodness. (Tweet this.)

I adore Hannah’s enthusiasm in this Scripture as she approached Eli! I imagine her eyes wide, wanting to take him back to that memory not so long ago when they both experienced God’s presence in such a real way. It was as if she was saying, “Don’t you remember, Eli? We stood right in this very spot when it happened! You and I both saw and heard what God did. Wasn’t it marvelous?”

She went on telling Eli more about the developments since that magnificent day …

“I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life” (1 Sam. 1:28a).

Have you ever received wonderful news, and you couldn’t wait to share it with someone? The kind of news that made you want to call a special person right away, just so they could rejoice with you?

Hannah received the best news of all in the form of a baby boy, but she had to wait a few years to share this incredible report with Eli. She knew he would be the one to appreciate it the most. After all, God used him to speak the prophecy of Samuel’s birth. Now the time had come. Bursting with anticipation, she told Eli the good news. And as the person who would appreciate it most, Eli praised God with her.

“And they worshiped the Lord there” (1 Sam. 1:28b).

As Hannah gave her only son Samuel back to God, she should have been heartbroken. I know I would have been, for sure. But Hannah pressed through potential feelings of worry, fear, and heartbreak. She let go of the what-ifs and uncertainty about the future. She placed herself in an attitude of rejoicing, thanksgiving, and praise.

Remember our faith statement from chapter four? Hannah was all over it…