NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

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Day 1

Scripture focus: Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. Proverbs 10:19 NLT

Most everything that plagues us is improved through an appropriate recognition and processing of feelings.

Do you acknowledge when you are lonely? Honest, healthy lonely people simply tell the truth about their lonely feelings.

Healthy lonely people give themselves time to feel the emotion, think about the feeling, consider why and where the feeling comes from, and consider possible, carefully thought through responses to the emotion.

This is not the same thing as wallowing.

This is accepting, acknowledging, and taking responsibility for the emotion.

Suppose Pete goes through a season of traveling for work. I get lonely. What do I do about it? Do I pout? Do I withdraw when he is home? Do I over-work/over-eat/over-exercise/over-medicate/veg out on Veggie Tales?

Do I lash out, mope, whine, manipulate or pout?

Maybe! But when I choose the healthier path, I pause to prepare. I ask questions – of myself; after all, I am responsible for my feelings. I might ask:

Is he gone too much for us to create a healthy marriage and family?

Am I too dependent?

If I am lonely, something is not quite right. I will inventory MY LIFE to see if something is missing.

Is Pete’s travel the issue, or is it an excuse and distraction, keeping me from looking at how I am “spending” my life?

What do I need to change? What conversations should Pete and I have – so that he understands me and can join with me in looking at MY loneliness.