As I scrolled through Instagram, I came across an interview with actor Shia Lebeouf. In the interview, he talked about mistakes he had made. These mistakes led him to one of the lowest points of his life. In this low point, no one came along his side. He felt alone and abandoned by all of his family and friends. Or so he thought. At his lowest point, his wife at the time (who apparently did bad things, too), came and visited him where he was staying (either jail or a mental recovery facility).
At the lowest point of his life and feeling abandoned, the person he thought would never show up, showed up. She was there. She didn’t say much but Shia said she saved his life. He said that she didn’t have to say anything. Just showing up and being there saved his life. He realized that he wasn’t alone. He went on to say the ministry of presence is powerful. Just showing up and being in the room can save someone’s life.
Isolation is dangerous. Isolation kills people. Being alone is bad for humankind. Some can bear the weight of loneliness for a season. Ultimately, it will erode your mental and physical health.
In the book of Genesis, God says that it isn’t good for man to be alone. Adam was in a perfect environment, the Garden of Eden, and in the presence of God, yet something wasn’t right. God goes on to say, “I will make him a suitable helper.” (2:18)
God’s presence is transforming. The good places He has for us are peaceful and pure but they are incomplete without the presence of others. God’s design is for you to be connected with other people. Loneliness is a tactic of the enemy of our soul to kill us slowly. God has made the church (His people) to be a caravan because there is strength in the herd.
My hope, for whoever is reading this, is that you are connected to a community in a real way because let’s face it, you can be isolated even in a crowd of people.
My encouragement is this – spend the rest of your life investing in people. Yeah, it’s dangerous because people hurt us and they betray us, but the alternative is much worse. This investment will be difficult at times, but it will yield a harvest that will save your life in the darkest hour.
Get connected in authentic relationships. More than that, get connected to those who know God. Getting connected to the wrong crowd is better than isolation, but it may direct your life in the wrong way.
If you are looking for a place where you can connect with people and work on authentic relationships, I’d like to invite you to Koinonia Church or to shoot me an email at chad@kchanford.com. We value authentic relationships and spend time investing in them. We don’t always hit the mark but we are diligent in the practice.
Blessings,
Pastor Chad
Chad Fagundes is Men’s and Outreach Pastor at Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. He can be reached at chad@kchanford.com or 559-582-1528.