How can I help people who are lonely?

Question

Accepted Answer

James 1:27Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

3 John 1:5Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you.

We should befriend the lonely, visit them, and invite them into our homes. Often, in caring for those who are lonely, our need for company will be met as well in ways we didn’t expect.

Matthew 25:45“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’”

1 Corinthians 12:21-22The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

Philippians 2:3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

James 2:1-4How can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

Often, lonely people feel unimportant. Sometimes, others treat them as unimportant. But they are not unimportant to God. Don’t stop with showing lonely people that you love them—show them that you respect them, too. Discover what they are passionate about, knowledgeable about, and good at, and encourage them to use those gifts. Ask about their experiences, listen to them, and learn from them. God has given each of us a valuable role in the body of Christ, but some of us are more confident in our role than others. When we encourage the lonely that they are valuable and needed, we show Christ’s love and we build up the body of Christ.