You have distanced my friends from me; you have made me repulsive to them. I am shut in and cannot go out. My eyes are worn out from crying. Lord, I cry out to you all day long; I spread out my hands to you.
Psalm 88:8-9 

She takes a selfie. She uploads it to Instagram with a catchy quote. Yes … 82 likes in the first hour! And her 956 friends are commenting like crazy. She keeps checking to see what everyone is saying about her. 

Later that evening she is overcome with so much hatred and shame over how she looks.

She is angry at God for not giving her any friends that will listen and care. She hates her life. She even thinks about overdosing on her pain meds, but she chickens out and cries herself to sleep. 

When smartphones and social media exploded on us I honestly thought they were going to help me gain more real friendships, draw me closer to people. Instead they make me feel more isolated, more jealous, more lonely.

And it’s not just me. iGen kids (born between 1995-2012) are superconnected with devices, yet depression rates are going through the roof. Reports of suicide due to cyberbullying abound.

Truth is, screen communication can be isolating, resulting in loneliness. 

Sure, the author of Psalm 88 lived in a totally different culture and had no clue what a smartphone is. Yet what he expresses in verses 8-9 captures similar feelings of loneliness and depression.

If you can relate to any of this, here are two things to do. 

1. Cultivate some genuine face-to-face friendships.

This is one of the great values of camp ministry. Long-standing friendships can be forged with shared memories, vulnerable accountability, perseverance through trials, and investment in a common mission.

But some—maybe even all—of the friends you make this summer are going to let you down. Then what? 

Learn more about how praying for each other can empower your camp ministry. And here’s what NOT to do.

2. Press in to a deeper relationship with God.

This is really what Psalm 88 is about—everyone has already abandoned the psalmist. There’s nothing left but to cry out to God (v 13). He knows everything about you. He’s not out to crush you.

He will never walk out on you or let you down.