Psalm 121:1–8 ‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (vv1–2)
When life’s troubles hit, we instinctively run towards the emergency exit. On waking at the start of our day, despondency easily envelops us and we lose control of our emotions. God appears distant and unavailable. All our strategies, from venting to retreating beneath the duvet, fail to lift the cloud surrounding us.
We enter our day murmuring catastrophic statements in a failed attempt to dampen our raw emotions. Whilst apparently absent, the good news is that God’s still present, for He’s only ever a whisper away, if only we weren’t too busy moaning. We so easily get caught up in our moments of despair and fail to acknowledge our need for some help.
We all need community in our moments of turmoil, when we can become consumed with self doubt, even self hatred.
We trust our own potentially destructive devices rather than seeking some help. In an age of ‘quick fixes’ and diminishing compassion, we quickly become isolated in our social space. Contemporary life offers little time for crafting community, which is continuously spoken about, yet remains hard to find outside social media.
God models community in the Trinity, and all community demands mutuality – giving and receiving in equal measure. It demands learning to trust God with the outcome of our interaction with total strangers. Engagement will require risk, the essence of faith. Community is the superhighway of God’s creation.
We all need community in our moments of turmoil, when we can become consumed with self doubt, even self hatred. We need to learn to commit to connecting with others and practise community, continually reminding ourselves that everything’s in God’s hands (Rom. 8:28).
SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER:
Prov. 27:10–22; Eccl. 4:7–12; Matt. 18:15–20; Rom. 12:3–21
AN ACTION TO TAKE:
Gravity reveals that falling down is a lot easier than climbing up.
Down is life’s instinctive direction. It’s easier to find someone to help us
up in a community. Where’s yours?
A PRAYER TO MAKE:
‘Lord, I’m easily overpowered on my own, but two can defend
themselves and each other. Help me to find and live in
a community. Amen.’ (Eccl. 4:9–12)
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash
