We are living in the middle of a loneliness epidemic. Christians in the West have long since lived in a culture of individualism, which is the breeding ground for loneliness. But with the digital socialization trends of the past couple of decades and the recent world shutdown, we are experiencing deep loneliness like never before.
Hope for the Here and Now
But Jesus offers hope to His people. When He ascended into heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell inside His people. The Holy Spirit is the constant Companion of all believers. He guides, convicts, prompts, and comforts. He is always with His people. Regardless of whatever feelings may arise, the reality is that with the Holy Spirit, Christians are never actually alone.
Many Christians feel lonely because of the fact that sin has negatively impacted the way that people relate with one another and with God. Some Christians are lonely because they are living out the reality of sin-tainted hormone levels. But there is another group of Christians who are feeling lonely simply because they are not being obedient to God’s design.
Jesus established His church as a means of bringing His people together. So many Christians in the modern world have allowed the culture to dictate their faith. In the West, this means that many Christians have embraced the lie that they can be Christians apart from any kind of commitment to a church. This is simply not coherent with biblical teaching. Jesus established His Church, in part, because community combats loneliness.
3 Bible Passages of Community Combatting Loneliness
1. Acts 2:41-47
From the very beginning, God made it clear that He did not create people to live in isolation. He established His Church for the benefit of His people. Christians who make a commitment to a local Bible-believing church have the privilege of participating in an atmosphere of mutual growth in the faith. Acts 2:41-47 explains the state of the early church and the attitude of commonality among the believers.
In this passage, we see that God’s design is for people to gather together under the authority of His Word. They are to worship Him together, build each other up, and show radical generosity. They meet each other’s needs, walk with each other through life, and cultivate deep relationships. And as a result, they receive both a spirit of gladness and sincerity of heart.
The early church did not neglect to gather, and there was no such thing as a “lone-wolf Christian.” They recognized that living out the faith was not an individual task but a corporate task. They weren’t content with shallow relationships and Sunday morning masks, but rather, they expected mutual vulnerability and mutual accountability. They ate together, remembered Jesus’ sacrifice together, and carried each other’s burdens together.
This kind of church involvement goes beyond simply checking off a box with church attendance once a week. It requires sacrifice and investment in the well-being of other people. It takes time and effort. And many times, it even requires grace and forgiveness. But it results in deep relationships that are centered on the unchanging and eternal gospel. And it results in a stronger fellowship with God and deeper ties to other like-minded people. Loneliness is a reality of living in a fallen world. But it doesn’t have to be a permanent marker in the lives of Christians.
2. Hebrews 10:23-25
Individual Christians standing alone are fragile. But when the church comes together, it is a powerful force. Hebrews 10:23-25 paints a beautiful picture of the church as a whole standing firm together in the gospel without wavering. It is no secret that the Christian faith is counter-cultural. It is becoming clearer every day that we are living in a generation that calls good evil and evil good. And standing up to an entire culture alone is certainly a lonely task.
This is why it is so important to get plugged into a good local church of like-minded believers. Watching a sermon online from the comfort of our couches and in our pajamas might feel like an easy alternative to getting everyone dressed and out the door on Sunday mornings. But it is detrimental to our spiritual health because it doesn’t allow us to connect with people.
Neglecting gathering together is indeed a habit that some people have according to this Hebrews passage. But when we do this, we are missing out on the encouragement of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are missing out on hearing their struggles and their testimonies of victory. We are robbing them of the opportunity to stir us up in love and good works. And we are robbing ourselves of the opportunity to be a part of making the church stronger.
The reality is that the culture wants us to be lonely and isolated because we are easier to defeat that way. Lonely Christians don’t have the support system of fellow believers that they need to withstand the pressures of society. How much deeper is our conviction when we have even one other person on our side, when we aren’t standing alone? Now imagine how strong 50, 200, or 1,000 Christians united together under the hope of Jesus would be. Christian, it is time to prioritize gathering together!
3. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
As Christians, we need each other. First Corinthians 12:12-27 explains that we as believers are all unique and that we complement each other. Paul compares each individual to a different part of the body. He says that some people are like the eye, some like the ear, some like the hand, and some like the foot. But no one part would ever declare that it had no use for the other part!
If we are like a foot and we remain isolated from the rest of the body, how will we ever see where to go? Or if we are the eye and we remain isolated from the rest of the body, how will we ever be able to accomplish anything? Lone-wolf Christians are lonely because they are trying to live separated from the rest of their body. This is no way to live! Christian, you don’t have to be alone! Join your local Bible-believing church. Connect with your fellow believers. And live life according to God’s design!