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Anyone who says they don’t like reading the Bible because there are too many perfect people in there, hasn’t actually read it! Have you noticed all the failures and faults in the chapters? One minute they’re fully trusting God and the next, they’re depressed and hiding in a cave or denying they even KNEW Christ. I am always amazed to find mature godly people in Scripture struggling with similar things as ME.

Like feeling abandoned. Recently I was feeling this. Oh, not by God necessarily. Mostly by people. I start swimming deeper in the pool of a pity party until I am nearly drowning in despair. Have you ever been there? I need Scripture to throw me a life saver, by encouraging and uplifting me.

These episodes seem to start when I begin comparing myself with others. Or with my former life, before widowhood. Yep, every time comparison comes UP, I go DOWN.

Then it escalates from there. I begin to use phrases like “no one EVER….” or “no one EVEN…”. Just the other day, we were having a family lunch to celebrate one of my children’s birthdays. In the car on the way there, one of the teens was commenting on recent text messages from me where I used a punctuation that made her think I was mad or upset. Then another teen jumped on board with other text messages, and before you knew it, all the teens were joking about my texting abilities.

As we sat down for lunch, I started really feeling sad. I day-dreamed of my late husband jumping in and saying, “Hey, leave your mother alone, kids.” or “You guys be nice to your mother.” But instead, it just seemed to increase. They claim they only kid me because they love me. Which is entirely true. They’re good kids. But I sat there feeling abandoned. No one coming to my rescue. No one coming to my defense.

I finally said something, because, well, I’m the parent and they have to listen to me! I reminded them that Mom has feelings too. They took it well, and the older ones seem to be trying to do better.

But when friends or church members seem to abandon us, what can we do?

There may be exceptions, but perhaps we should try first what the Apostle Paul did.

At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me.
2 Timothy 4:16-17 ESV

Paul had such compassion on the ones who abandoned him in his horrible jail cell and trial. What grace he had for them. He wanted God to forgive them. He didn’t call down fire from heaven on their heads. Paul knew the Lord was his strength when he had no strength left. And he had a purpose.

An all-encompassing purpose:

Soli Deo Gloria- in Latin, meaning, glory to God alone.

When I put my life in this perspective, I have no reason to ever feel sorry for myself.

One practical idea to deal with these feelings is grabbing a journal and just pour it all out there, listing all the ways you feel abandoned. Hold the list up in the air and say, “Lord, I am giving every one of these abandoned feelings to You.” Does God understand? Yes, He absolutely does. Think about the abandonment Jesus felt on the cross. Even God the Father turned His back on Him due to His carrying the sin of the world on His shoulders.

And because Jesus experienced the cross, we will NEVER experience abandonment by God. Jesus lived Soli Deo Gloria – only to bring glory to God, even through death. Have you accepted His gift of salvation? If you have questions about eternity, visit this page for help. Or email us with your questions (admin@awidowsmight.org)

Father God, thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross for ME. Please take all my feelings of abandonment and replace them with compassion and grace. Help me to live solely to Your glory today. Amen