45 - Peggy - "Are we as Christians supposed to be smiling and happy all the time?”
“Dear Michael, I’m so lonely without my husband. I cry all the time because I’m alone. Does having the peace and joy of Christ mean that we’re supposed to be happy and smiling all the time? Michael, how I wish you could be my mentor in some way, even though you live so far away. In Christ, Peggy”
Finding Your Needs Met in Jesus: A Journey to True Fulfillment
Do you ever feel a deep longing, a persistent ache in your heart that nothing seems to satisfy? Do you crave connection, belonging, and an end to loneliness? Perhaps you’ve sought fulfillment in relationships, achievements, or even in other people’s faith journeys, only to find those wells run dry. Today’s message to Peggy reminds us that true and lasting fulfillment can only be found in one place: in Jesus Christ.
Jesus himself experienced deep sorrow and loneliness. Hebrews 5:7 tells us, "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission." Even Jesus, the Son of God, felt alone and cried out in his need. But his source of strength, his anchor in the storm, was his intimate relationship with the Father.
Just like the Israelites who waited and cried out to God during their exile (think of the book of Judges!), we too must wait upon the Lord. James 5:13 reminds us, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.” This personal, intimate relationship with God is available to each of us through Jesus. He has bridged the gap, giving us direct access to the Father. Even if stranded on a desert island, alone with only Jesus, you can experience His perceived presence through the Holy Spirit. Learn to recognize and rely on this precious gift, even when His presence feels distant. He promises in Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
This doesn't mean we won’t experience suffering or sadness. Isaiah 53 describes Jesus as “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” But Hebrews 12:2 encourages us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross…” Jesus clung to the joy of resurrection, of a blessed life on the other side of suffering. This is the Christian life: carrying our crosses, dying to ourselves, and experiencing resurrection life in those areas, all fueled by the joy set before us. It is a constant cycle of death and resurrection, surrender and new life.
If you are struggling with unmet needs and loneliness like Peggy, cry out to Jesus. Lay down your burdens, your self-righteousness, and your good works. Come to Him with nothing but a mustard seed of faith, believing in His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection. Ephesians 2:8-10 reminds us that it is by grace through faith, not works, that we are saved. It is in this surrender that you will find true fulfillment and an end to your loneliness. He is waiting. He longs to meet your needs. He is the only one who truly can.
