Beyond Loneliness : The gift of God's friendship

by Trevor Hudson

Loneliness touches everyone, whether they are young or old, rich or poor. It can be one of the most painful experiences of life. There is a friend-shaped hole in all of our lives, Trevor Hudson writes. People long for relationship with others, but what may surprise them is that God actually longs to be friends with them. Having a close friendship with God is the only thing that will ultimately bring joy and happiness and ease the ache of loneliness. In Beyond Loneliness, Hudson provides guidance for building a friendship with God. Ten chapters help readers discover how to get to know God and deepen their friendship with God. Each chapter includes friendship exercises and reflection questions. Perfect for small-group or individual study

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2016

Reviews

[Jared Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

At any given time, in addition to whatever else I might be reading, I try to ensure that I’m working through at least one devotional book for spiritual formation. Trevor Hudson has become one of my go-to devotional writers. His books are short and simple, but also informed, enriching, and pastorally sensitive. What he says is not usually radical or groundbreaking, but he is a reliable help and encouragement. And I often resonate with the emotions and experiences that he relays. In many ways, his books remind me of Henri Nouwen books (and that’s a very good thing!). I am happy to recommend this particular book to any friend wanting to cultivate a richer relationship with God. And, as silly as it may feel at times, I would recommend doing all the little ‘friendship exercises’ he scatters throughout the book. They are good for the soul, and they genuinely contribute to the reading experience. 🙂

[Jane Winner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much more than its Title. It challenges us to be authentic friends, to look forward and dare to live a wholehearted life. Trevor Hudson is easy to read and understand. He touched my heart and made me laugh. I will challenge myself to carry his thoughts throughout each day.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's another great one from Trevor Hudson. His books are one's you need to take time with because they are actually practices in spiritual disciplines, reflective prayer and experiential application. The emphasis of this book is discovering God as "The Friend", which is a wonderful and refreshing way that both Rumi and Hafiz portray God as well. What you'll find inside are daily reflections and invitations to practice experiencing friendship with God while also reflecting that friendship with those around us.

[David G Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful invitational journey to go deeper with Jesus.

Inspiring and practical. This is a great book to gain a fresh apprehension of how much God desires intimate relationship with us and invites us into living that out, dreaming His dream for the world and finding ourselves and others in the community of faith.

[Rebekah Sturgill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard Trevor speak and he's such a lovely, pastoral presence. This book was written more like a self-help book, which is not what I'm into, but the content was still quite good. Rather than dwelling on the feeling of loneliness, he focuses on what it means to be "friends" with God and how to develop that friendship.

[Nicole Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hudson's gentle, pastoral style is an invitation to friendship. It's not easy to transition from seeing God as a cosmic provider to seeing God as friend, but Hudson is able to show us how to catch a vision of why it's worth it.

[Maris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the book

I chose this book because it resonates with every persons life at one time or another. I would recommend this reading to anyone, especially if you feel lost, lonely, or invisible. Remember you are loved and you are never alone

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes a way to journey through life developing and growing our friendship with God. Practical and Biblically based.

[Linda Gocha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another UMW required book, but good.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful book in driving home the truth that we imperfect human beings can be in friendship with God because of the work of Christ. There are definitely some helpful sections in this book. I do wish it dealt with sin and repentance more head-on as this is a crucial aspect of the transformative nature of enjoying the divine friendship. We are, indeed, more morally broken than we realize and yet, through being united to Jesus, we become more loved that we have categories to comprehend. This truth turns repentance into something ultimately sweet. And, in a sense, this is what gives Trevor's premise, i.e. that friendship with God is transformative, a sure foundation which doesn't crush us as we seek to go deeper in our friendship with a holy God.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book. We read it for our church book club. It talked about Jesus and God as our friend. This is especially true in the rough times of our lives. We have been going through times of loneliness and sadness during the pandemic and now the war in Ukraine. It is a very timely book that gives us encouragement .

[Randy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It approaches our relationship with the divine. in a less conventional way...as friendship. It feels a bit overly familiar at times for my tastes, but there are many helpful aspects to the book. A full review is forthcoming.

[Carol Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is the review on my blog:

http://carolhomeschool2.blogspot.com/...

[heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful devotional book that I immediately want to read again. Hudson has a way of talking about a personal relationship with God that is both comforting and challenging; it's deeply personal and also requires engagement with the world. The exercises included in each chapter have the potential to transform.