Read:
One of the things no one really prepares you for when you start following Jesus is the loneliness. Not the kind that comes from being physically alone—the kind that comes from being surrounded by people who just don't get what you're living for anymore. Friends drift. Family keeps their distance. The people you thought would be supportive aren't.
Paul knew this firsthand. When he stood before the judge, he wrote: "No one came with me. Everyone abandoned me" (2 Timothy 4:16, NLT). This is the apostle Paul—and still, the room was empty.
The narrow road has fewer people on it. That's not a design flaw. But it does mean you'll have to grieve some relationships and hold tightly to the ones that remain. Name who you've lost on this road. Don't skip that part. And then remember: the one who set the road is on it with you.
Pray: God, the loneliness is real, and I don't want to pretend it isn't. Thank you that you never abandoned Paul—and that you haven't abandoned me. Help me grieve what I've lost and trust that I'm not actually alone. Amen.