There is a huge push to be known in this world. With the establishment of social media, people haven’t had opportunities to connect with other people who are similar to them.
Connection is necessary for people to feel that they have someone who understands them and knows them. Ironically, depression and anxiety have run rampant in the midst of this seemingly new opportunity to be known.
The truth is that there is validity in connection through social media. There is an opportunity to be known, but you will only be known to the level you let people in. This can be hard because it’s not easy, or really a good idea, to put everything about yourself out there for the whole world to see.
It still leads to the question, “When I am alone, how to I find a pathway out?” The answer may sound easy, but getting it done is a difficult task.
In Isaiah 41:10, God says, “Don’t fear for I am with you.” This sounds like a great start to not being alone and to being fully known. BUT there are three things He mentions about what will be done for you so that you can pass through a season of fear and anxiety.
Isaiah 41:10
“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
“I will strengthen you”. The implication is that you are not strong enough for the task of this world. However, He is not going to do all the work for you. God let us know that He’s going to strengthen us to the point where we can actually enter into the things we need to do to connect with God and be successful. Let’s be clear – success does not always look like we want it to. Success is inner peace. Success is the holiness we strive for to be like Christ Jesus.
- “and help you;” This may sound similar to the idea of strengthening, but we know that God also wants to give us opportunities to be in a different place. Sometimes, He will not only strengthen us, but He will also give us the idea, the forethought, or answer to prayer to get us out of the current situation. Just as before, we will do the work through His strength, but also with His help and guidance.
- “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” In thinking about this part of the verse, we sometimes don’t understand the difference between strengthening and helping, or being held up by His righteous hand. What we are being shown is that, regardless of past, present and future, the righteous man will be held up in God’s righteous hand. This is one of the first times we see that it is about the faith, not about the act. God will hold us up because we are faithful to Him and His Word, not because we did everything perfectly. He will strengthen us to do the work. He will help us get out of our situation, but the grace comes in being held in His righteous hand.
God will not leave us nor forsake us, which means that when we are alone in the natural, we can always rely on the understanding that we are known and held by the Creator of the universe.
If we want to connect with people, and if we want to have connections in our lives, it is important to never unplug from the true God, who will never leave us alone. To be un-lonely is to be known in Him.
Rene Solis is the Director of Koinonia School of Ministry, a ministry of Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. He can be reached at ksm@kchanford.com or by calling 559-582-1528.