Lonely No More

Today, I want to return to Psalm 34, where we can find encouragement when we might feel alone, isolated, or even wounded. The Scriptures say:
15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

We can know that we are seen by God; in fact, He loves us so much that He gave of Himself - He sent His Son to earth to die for us, so that we could be brought near to Him through salvation. We serve a loving God, to whom we can "cry out," and be assured that as we come to Him with a humble and contrite spirit, that He will hear us and act in accordance to His will.  We have the assurance of salvation, as well as the companionship of the Holy Spirit - we can fellowship with our Lord and enjoy the nearness of His presence with us.

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The antidote to loneliness is found through a relationship with the living God and with His people; Scripture addresses our human relationships in 1st Peter chapter 4, when it says:
8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins."
9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

May is commemorated as Mental Health Awareness Month, and it provides an opportunity for those who believe in Jesus Christ to recognize the power of Scriptural principles to help address mental health issues. 

Last May, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, released an 85-page report on loneliness, described by Forbes magazine as "declaring loneliness a new public health epidemic in the United States." The article quotes Murthy, who said, “Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health. Our relationships are a source of healing and well-being hiding in plain sight—one that can help us live healthier, more fulfilled and more productive lives..."

So, how do we fix it?  A Connecticut Senator named Chris Murphy has an idea, according to the Washington Examiner's Madeline Fry Schultz, writing for the Independent Women's Forum website:

After the government shut down large swaths of society in early 2020, everyday Americans were feeling the brunt of Uncle Sam’s enforced isolation. More than a third of Americans struggled with “serious loneliness,” according to a Harvard survey conducted that fall.

Now, the very same people who shamed others for going to parks or seeing their friends during the pandemic have a solution to fight the loneliness crisis: more government.

Senator Murphy tweeted out: “Today I’m introducing a groundbreaking bill – the National Strategy for Social Connection Act...It creates a federal office to combat the growing epidemic of American loneliness, develops anti-loneliness strategies, and fosters best practices to promote social connection.”

Schultz referenced an Examiner editorial, which stated: "Social connection happens at a local level, so a national solution is impossible." It also stated: "Centralization of power, attention, and action is a chief cause of social disconnection..."

I do believe there is a force that can address the loneliness problem in a meaningful way - the power of God's Word and His Church.  Hope for the Heart, the ministry founded by June Hunt, sent out a press release written by Meeting House guest Haley Scully of the organization, who responded to a recent Arizona State University study, which found that, "...not only are middle-aged Americans lonelier than their same-age peers in Europe and Israel, levels of loneliness are also increasing across generations in both the U.S. and Europe."  A summary of the study quotes from ASU professor Frank Infurna, who said, “Middle-aged Americans are experiencing very high levels of loneliness, especially baby boomers, but middle-aged adults in England, Italy, Spain, and Greece are now ‘catching up’ to their American peers..." For people ages 45-65, loneliness may not constitute an epidemic, but, according to that summary, "loneliness might instead be endemic, or constantly present."

Scully references a Gallup poll showing that 6-in-10 young people ages 18-24 "wrestle with loneliness," and notes, "Although we are technologically connected more than ever, we are in many ways, more relationally disconnected than ever." She adds, "Loneliness not only affects mental health and well-being but can also lead to more serious issues such as anxiety, depression, and suicide. These represent a third of all problems treated today."

So, it appears that loneliness occurs irrespective of age. And, as Scully points out, "We are made for relationship with God and one another. The very meaning of church – the assembly, the gathered people – is about relationship. We have an opportunity to play a vital role in providing a meaningful sense of community, support, purpose, and connection for individuals."  

Hope for the Heart offers resources that address applying a Biblical approach to mental and other issues through its website at hopefortheheart.org/free.

So, during May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, we can consider how our Savior has come to bring us peace - with Him, with ourselves, and with one another.  His abiding presence is with us even when we feel lonely. His healing, restorative power is available to us. In fact, as Paul writes to Timothy in 2nd Timothy chapter 1, we do not have the "spirit of fear," but of "power," "love," and "a sound mind."  We can look to God's presence and principles to help us in our pursuit of sounder minds.  

Furthermore, we are part of a living organism called the Church, through which we can enter into rewarding relationships predicated on our common fellowship with God.  God has created us as holistic beings - spirit, soul, and body, according to 1st Thessalonians chapter 5, so our Creator can minister to the deepest needs of our hearts and can provide power and wisdom to address the challenges we face in our minds. This ability can be released through our fellowship with one another.  It is also heartening to see churches embracing mental health challenges and recognizing that the Scriptures and the love of fellow believers can be instrumental in addressing these needs.