ACCORDING TO A 2024 PUBLISHED REPORT FROM THE U.S. SURGEON GENERAL, LONELINESS HAS BEEN DECLARED A PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMIC. THE LATEST HEALTHY MINDS MONTHLY POLL FROM THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION (APA) FINDS THAT 30% OF ADULTS SAY THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED FEELINGS OF LONELINESS AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, WHILE 10% SAY THEY ARE LONELY EVERY DAY.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN LIFE CAN SEEM OVERWHELMING IF ONE FEELS THEY MUST FEND FOR THEMSELVES ON A DAILY BASIS OR IF THEY DON’T HAVE MANY FRIENDS OR A SOLID SUPPORT NETWORK WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH OR THEY NEED HELP OR ADVICE.
THE PROMISES OF GOD, FOR A BELIEVER, GIVES US NOT ONLY HOPE, BUT ENCOURAGEMENT THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE A STATISTIC FOR THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION. WE WILL NEVER BE LEFT ALONE TO FEND FOR OURSELVES!
IN THE OLD TESTATMENT, THE PROMISE OF DEUTERONOMY 31:6, “SO BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS! DO NOT BE AFRAID AND DO NOT PANIC BEFORE THEM. FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL PERSONALLY GO AHEAD OF YOU. HE WILL NEITHER FAIL YOU NOR ABANDON YOU.” THEN, FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT, THIS SAME PROMISE IS REPEATED IN HEBREWS 13:5, WHERE GOD SAYS, “NEVER WILL I LEAVE YOU; NEVER WILL I FORSAKE YOU.” WE ARE NEVER ALONE. WE ALWAYS HAVE HOPE.
THIS IS WHY JESUS ASSURES US IN VERSE 27, “PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU; MY PEACE I GIVE TO YOU. I DO NOT GIVE TO YOU AS THE WORLD GIVES. DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED, AND DO NOT LET THEM BE AFRAID.”
JESUS IS NOT SAYING YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TROUBLE, PAIN, SUFFERING, DANGER, LONELINESS, OR OTHER CHALLENGES. WHAT HE IS GIVING TO US IS A PROMISE THAT DESPITE THESE THINGS WE FACE, WE WILL NOT FACE THEM ALONE, BUT HAVE A FULL AND UNBROKEN UNION WITH GOD THROUGH THE PRESENCE OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT.
NO MATTER WHAT, GOD’S WILL, PLAN, AND PURPOSES FOR US IS ALWAYS FOR HIS GLORY AND OUR GOOD. THE WORLD CAN NEVER TAKE GOD’S PEACE FROM US! ROMANS 8:28, “…FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD, FOR THOSE WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.”
ALONG WITH THESE PROMISES AND WORDS OF TEACHINGS FROM JESUS, WE ALSO HAVE THE PROFOUND GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN SCRIPTURE THAT THE SPIRIT IS REFERRED TO AS HOLY. THIS SHOWS THAT THE SPIRIT IS PART OF THE TRINITY!
GOD, THE FATHER, SENDS THE SPIRIT IN THE NAME OF JESUS. THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER AS THE HOLY SPIRIT’S MISSION COMES FROM BOTH THE FATHER AND THE SON. OUR TRIUNE GOD, IN EVERY DIMENSION, IS WORKING ALL THINGS FOR OUR GOOD AND BENEFIT.
THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO US AND THE CHURCH IS OUR LIFE SOURCE TOWARDS SPIRITUAL MATURITY, INCREASED FAITH, AND ASSURANCE OF LIFE PURPOSE AND MISSION. THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH SAYS THIS OF THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US:
“THE HOLY SPIRIT IS POURED OUT UPON THE CHURCH BY THE FATHER AND THE SON. HE IS THE CHURCH’S LIFE AND WITNESSING POWER. HE BESTOWS THE LOVE OF GOD AND MAKES REAL THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE BELIEVER SO THAT BOTH HIS GIFTS OF WORDS AND SERVICE MAY ACHIEVE THE COMMON GOOD AND BUILD AND INCREASE THE CHURCH. IN RELATION TO THE WORLD HE IS THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, AND HIS INSTRUMENT IS THE WORD OF GOD.”
WE HAVE ALL THE HELP WE NEED BECAUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. JESUS INSTRUCTED IN VERSE 26, THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL “…TEACH YOU EVERYTHING AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I HAVE SAID TO YOU.” IF WE ARE WILLING TO LEARN, THE SPIRIT WILL TEACH US EVERYTHING WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EVERY SINGLE THING THAT JESUS SAID!
“TEACH YOU EVERYTHING” AND “MAKE YOU REMEMBER” ARE SYNONYMOUS AS ONE SIMPLY REINFORCES THE OTHER. THE METHOD BY WHICH THE SPIRIT TEACHES IS TO HELP US REMEMBER ALL THAT JESUS TAUGHT US AND ALL SCRIPTURAL TRUTHS OF GOD’S WORD.
HOWEVER, THERE IS A STIPULATION TO BEING GRANTED ACCESS TO ALL THIS INSTRUCTION AND GUIDANCE AFFORDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. WE MUST MAINTAIN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST PROVEN BY OUR FIDELITY AND OUR OBEDIENT, RADICAL LOVE FOR HIM.
JOHN 15:4-5, “REMAIN IN ME, AND I WILL REMAIN IN YOU. FOR A BRANCH CANNOT PRODUCE FRUIT IF IT IS SEVERED FROM THE VINE, AND YOU CANNOT BE FRUITFUL UNLESS YOU REMAIN IN ME. ‘YES, I AM THE VINE; YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. THOSE WHO REMAIN IN ME, AND I IN THEM, WILL PRODUCE MUCH FRUIT. FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING.’” WE MUST BE IN ACTIVE PURSUIT OF JESUS ABIDING IN HIM!
THIS LIFE-LONG PURSUIT IS CALLED “CONSECRATION!” IT IS THE WILFUL CHOICE TO DENY OURSELVES, FORSAKE THE WORLD, AND DEDICATE OURSELVES TO LIVING OUT AND FULFILLING GOD’S WILL AND PURPOSE FOR OUR LIVES.
THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH SAYS, “WHEN CHRISTIANS SINCERELY FOLLOW CHRIST AND LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT AS HE SPEAKS IN THE SCRIPTURES, THEY SHOULD SENSE THIS NEED OF CLEANSING FROM INWARD SIN. THEY SHOULD DESIRE EARNESTLY TO BE FILLED WITH THE LOVE OF GOD AND LONG FOR A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST WHICH WILL SATISFY THEIR DEEPEST INWARD NEED AND EMPOWER THEM TO SERVE AND OBEY THE LORD. CHRISTIANS, THEREFORE, MUST CONSECRATE THEMSELVES TO GOD AND SURRENDER THEIR WILLS TO THE WILL OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER.”
WE HAVE ALL THE HELP WE NEED. THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL HELP US, GUIDE US, INSTRUCT US, AND REMIND US AND EVEN CORRECT US. WE WANT TO BECOME MORE AND MORE LIKE JESUS.
THE HONEST TRUTH IS THERE IS NO WAY TO FAIL GIVEN ALL THE HELP THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL PROVIDE US. WE WILL NEVER BE LEFT TO FEND FOR OURSELVES. WE’LL NEVER BE ALONE OR REQUIRED TO FIGURE EVERYTHING OUT OURSELVES!
I THINK THE CHALLENGE IS JUST BEING HONEST ENOUGH TO ASK OURSELVES IF WE HAVE THE MOTIVATION AND WILLINGNESS TO PURSUE SUCH A RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR GOD. DO WE REALLY WANT THE HELP? DO WE WANT TO CHANGE AND BE HOLY?
JOHN 15:9-11, “I HAVE LOVED YOU EVEN AS THE FATHER HAS LOVED ME. REMAIN IN MY LOVE. WHEN YOU OBEY MY COMMANDMENTS, YOU REMAIN IN MY LOVE, JUST AS I OBEY MY FATHER’S COMMANDMENTS AND REMAIN IN HIS LOVE. I HAVE TOLD YOU THESE THINGS SO THAT YOU WILL BE FILLED WITH MY JOY. YES, YOUR JOY WILL OVERFLOW!”
LET US LIVE HOLY AND CONSECRATED LIVES PLEASING TO GOD. LET US DENY OURSELVES, PICK UP OUR CROSSES, AND FOLLOW JESUS. LET US GO, MAKE DISCIPLES, AND TEACH ALL THAT JESUS HAS TAUGHT AND COMMANDED. LET US FORSAKE THE WORLD AND BE SOLD OUT TO JESUS. WE CAN DO THIS BECAUSE, WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE HAVE ALL THE HELP WE NEED!
