Galatians 4:1-7
She was a young woman of 19; a person who is supposed to be full of life and invincibility yet instead was cowering in a corner of a room, sitting on the floor with her head between her knees. She was alone and she was scared. Her face was covered, but it didn’t matter because there was no one around to see it. The young woman was being crushed by fear and by loneliness. 2020 was excruciating for everyone; yes, because of the pandemic, but that fear was exacerbated by the complete isolation that so many in this world suffered through. There was a new depth to the idea of loneliness during COVID – social distancing, remote work, no travelling, etc… amd it ruined many people. “Loneliness has been linked to multiple chronic physical conditions, pain and fatigue and is a major source of psychological stress associated with depression and anxiety, low life satisfaction, and health risk behavior in the general population” (Science Direct). This is a deep-seeded problem in our world and one that can lead to so many other issues! It is not something to mess around with. Whether you live alone or are constantly surrounded by crowds of people, it can be easy to find yourself alone, with feelings of fear and powerlessness quickly setting in. If that is you, then please hear this today. Loneliness is quenched with the arrival of our Lord Jesus, Immanuel.
Without Christ, You’re Alone
The struggle with loneliness is timeless, and Paul harkens to it in a directly subtle, if not beautiful, way. The structure of these verses show how deep and intimate loneliness is. Our passage today fits inside a larger section where Paul is trying to explain the idea of Christ’s salvation creating a larger, multi-ethnic family. V1-3, though, are heartbreaking; Paul is using the example of an ignored child set under managers by an absentee father to highlight the reality of how alone a person is without Christ. Picture being in that situation as a child. It would be gut wrenching! Have you struggled with this? Statistics say many people have. According to a post-covid survey, 36% of all Americans, with 61% of young adults and 51% of mothers with young children deal with significant loneliness (AMA Assn). Just like the child in this example – who is a microcosm of all people before the advent of Christ – our lives are distanced from love, from life, from connection. And this is a problem we can’t solve ourselves, though we certainly do try.
One major place people turn for their loneliness fix is social media. It has really helped lead to the rise of the faux relationship. It only offers a fake fix by creating an illusion of connection through likes and passive scrolling, but often worsens isolation by replacing deep, real-life interactions with superficial digital ones, leading to comparison traps, reduced self-esteem, and a deeper sense of being alone despite being “connected”. Without Christ, you are alone and as social media has proven, that is a crushing realization.
With Christ, You’re Not Alone
Thankfully, the advent was realized and Isaiah’s promise fulfilled in Jesus (Isaiah 7:14). This here in v4-7 is the heart of the Christmas message. This is the solution, this is real connection. To those who have spent their lives living on their own, alone and scared, there is a helper, a redeemer, a Savior who is HERE. Galatians 4:1-7 has an incredible, circular nature to it: it starts with an absentee father and ends with THE Daddy holding us in His arms. I say Daddy because “Abba” in Greek is the most intimate, informal way to say father, which is what little children would call their present and engaged dad. It is safety, trust, and consistent presence. My dad often had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, but never missed a swim meet or concert. Your earthly father may or may not have been an example like this, but regardless of him, your Heavenly Father has followed through on every promise, which is exactly why we are here today: we are living in the realized promise of the presence of our Savior, Immanuel as shown in v4-5. When our girls were adopted, names were changed, birth certificates were re-signed, and the days of loneliness were over. They’re in the family. With Christ, loneliness is over; you’re in the family. Loneliness is quenched with the arrival of our Lord Jesus, Immanuel.
Next Steps
Hear me; you aren’t alone. It starts here with us and is fulfilled fully in Christ. Run to your heavenly daddy today!
- Trust in Christ and allow God into your life; quench the loneliness
- Connect with real people face to face; avoid social media
- Engage the lonely this season with the message of Christ
Loneliness, like any other illness, does require healing. Maybe you have or are experiencing that pain. There is no guarantee of an immediate remedy, but the balm of Gilead is the perfect salve; Jesus is the perfect healer.
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