People in general have at least two fears.
One is loneliness. Everyone has at one point or another felt alone. It is something people dread to experience. Isolation could be considered as one form of torture. In fear of loneliness, people develop relationships (friendships, marriages, partnerships, etc.) and face the prospect of getting relationally hurt in the process. To them, nothing is more painful than loneliness. They are willing to risk the relational hurts as they run to avoid loneliness.
Two is relational hurts. Everyone has at one point or another experienced this as well. It occurs when a friend betrays you; when a loved one dies; when someone close to you moves away; when someone you love gets seriously ill; when something terrible happens to your children; when there is a divorce; when you (yourself) fail others; etc. In fear of being hurt and hurting others, people choose the road of loneliness while forfeiting the potential blessings that come from interactions with others. They are willing to endure the pain of being an island to avoid the hurts that come from relationships.
While people try to dodge one or the other (or perhaps both) fears in their lives; eventually, it catches up to them. If one lives long enough, he or she is guaranteed to experience these emotions. Is there any hope? Can we avoid being lonely and being relationally hurt? Yes, there is hope though we cannot avoid these experiences while on earth.
The hope comes from Jesus. In Him, we are never alone, for He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. God has given every believer the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. In addition, we also have hope in Heaven, for there will no longer be any pains. God will wipe away all the tears from wounded hearts. He will take away all our sorrows.
Only in Christ, can we find hope to endure the challenging times of loneliness and relational hurts. Jesus can empathize with us. He hung alone on the cross. He suffered the pain of abandonment, rejections, misunderstandings, and betrayal in relationships. May Christ be our answer to these fears.
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