The route to knowing God eventually passes directly through the valley of profound loneliness. It is in the times when there is no one but God that we learn to know Him most fully. Those times-those moments of utter aloneness - come only from emptying our lives into the lives of others.
When we depend on no one to minister to us, when we thankfully accept the little encouragement coming our way from others, then the soul will feel its deepest longing- to abandon itself to someone perfectly reliable and strong. We will feel profound loneliness. If in that moment we stadfastly refuse to compromise our commitment to minister, if we dependently abandon ourselves to no one, then the loneliness will intensify.
At those moments when the loneliness is greatest, we must turn in desperate dependency to God. We must entrust ourselves so completely to Him that our psychological doom is assured if He fails to respond. Then we will come to know more of Him. Then godly character will grow. His glory bursts through most brightly when the night is darkest. His strength is proven most sufficient when we are weakest. His love penetrates most deeply when we feel unloved...
The character of an encourager must be strong. It must be molded and hardened in the fires of loneliness when no one but God is there. And loneliness- that surprising opportunity to know God- comes as we so thoroughly commit ourselves to ministering to others that we depend on God alone to misnister to us. His ministry draws us into His very presence so that we can speack to ministry draws us into His very presence so that we can speak to others from holy ground. Then our words have power for good.
Sue - thanks for taking the time to type this all out and post this. This is great encouragement!
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