How to protect yourself when you’re alone

David, who committed adultery with another man’s wife, prayed: “Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all!…See how many enemies I have and how viciously they hate me! Protect me! Rescue my life from them! Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge. May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you” (vv. 16-21 NLT). How can you protect yourself in areas where you’re vulnerable? (1) By staying close to God. When you’re lonely, distancing from God doesn’t make sense. It just increases your exposure to things like infidelity, pornography, drugs, and alcohol. (2) By coming out of hiding. Get involved in some aspect of ministry. Be willing to be more transparent by getting to know others and letting them get to know you. Shakespeare said, “Fire that is closest kept burns most of all.” When you spend time around people who truly care about you, loneliness ceases to be such an issue. (3) By taking the focus off yourself. Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Victory comes by reaching out to those in need; by giving of yourself, praying for them, loving and serving them. (4) By forgiving those who’ve hurt you. Isolating yourself when you’ve been hurt just leads to bitterness. Forgive, turn it over to God, let Him deal with your offender—and get on with your life.