The support group for Christians
There’s a lot of sorrow in the world right now, because of the Coronavirus. Suicide rates are on the rise. An article last week was titled, “More People Died From Suicide Than Coronavirus In Tennessee This Week.”[i] President Trump said, “You're going to lose more people by putting a country into a massive recession or depression. You're going to lose people. You're going to have suicides by the thousands.” Whether Trump’s statement is true or not, there’s enough sorrow from the Coronavirus that people are talking about suicide, and some number of people are committing suicide.
When people are suffering, one of the more common approaches they take is joining a group where individuals have experienced similar difficulties:
- Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous put people with similar addictions together.
- A friend of mine used to work with burn survivors and she said there were therapeutic benefits when they can be together.
- After my brother passed away I attended a group with my parents for people who had lost children.
- I’m not trying to be funny, but I’ve been to pastors’ retreats and in some ways they’re like a bunch of guys consoling each other regarding their similar difficulties in ministry.
To be clear, I'm not saying these groups are bad, but it saddens me when they seek to help people through psychology or worldly approaches instead of the Gospel and principles found in Scripture.
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Look to Christ
I've noticed when people are struggling with discouragement, the last thing they seem to want is to be with others. This is really unfortunate and, in a way, is giving the devil a victory in the situation, because when people are discouraged something they might need most is fellowship. I’m convinced one of the reasons the prophet Jeremiah struggled so much is because his ministry was lonely; there was no support group for beat-up, rejected prophets. I think the same could be said of David when he fled from Saul, or Elijah when he fled from Jezebel and asked God to take his life.
When we're discouraged, we can be encouraged by the fact that we’re in good company; we're in a "support group" you might say with Moses, David, Elijah, and Jeremiah. The groups I mentioned previously are usually led by individuals who have been through similar situations. The group I attended with my parents was led by a woman who had lost a child). The Christian support group is also led by a great facilitator, a Man very familiar with our experiences. Jesus is the Man of Sorrows Acquainted With Grief (Isaiah 53:3). He is the Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6) able le to relate to us and encourage us. When I speak at conferences on trials I tell people they must keep their eyes on Christ.
Look to Other Christians
Many people see Ecclesiastes as a discouraging book as it discusses the futility of life. Although, Solomon kept coming back to one thing that can encourage us and that’s fellowship! Consider these verses:
- Ecc 2:24 Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.
- Ecc 3:12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
- Ecc 5:18 Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.
- Ecc 8:15 So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.
The theme of the book is that nothing in this life satisfies. If you’re familiar with King Solomon’s life you can see why God chose him to write Ecclesiastes. He had everything the world says brings happiness. He tried everything you could try, tasted everything you could taste, experienced everything you could experience and not only did it not make him happy, he found it all to be vanity or hebel; a Hebrew word translated as meaningless, pointless, futile or frustration in other translations. Hebel is used 61 times in the Bible and 30 of those times are in Ecclesiastes…5 times just in chapter 1 verse 2. That’s why some people find the book discouraging, because it looks like everything leads to hebel.
Based on the verses I shared though there did seem to be something Solomon found satisfying - which is why some people find the book encouraging - and that’s eating, drinking, and enjoying our labor. Or in one word: fellowship. Lasting contentment came from the simple things in life, such as spending time with other believers. It’s about eating and drinking with friends and family, brothers and sisters in Christ. The world tells us what’s necessary to be happy, but it’s all hebel. Lasting contentment and joy is found in the activities of life that are from the hand of God (Ecclesiastes 2:24).
[i]https://thefederalist.com/2020/03/27/more-people-died-from-suicide-than-coronavirus-in-tennessee-this-week/
Scott LaPierre is senior pastor of Woodland Christian Church in Woodland, Washington. He and his wife, Katie, homeschool their 8 kids. For more information, visit scottlapierre.org/
