FROM THE TOP
LELAND ACKER
Jimmy seemed to have all together. A student at a Baptist seminary, he had already been called to pastor his first church... a small church of about 60 people.

Jimmy was young, charismatic, enthusiastic and people loved to follow him. In his first year, the church he pastored thrived.

The ministry was not without struggle, however. He had left a career that paid twice what his church paid in order to help others through ministry.

Among the trials and tribulations of ministry, there was one thing that truly bothered Jimmy.

"Do you miss it?" he asked me. "You know, riding around town with your friends, hanging out, having fun, being yourself?"

Afraid of sounding unspiritual, I answered, "I guess so. Doesn't everybody?"

"I guess so. Maybe it's just the flesh wanting to return to Egypt," he said.

He continued for a while, before resigning the church to focus on his education.

Jimmy's struggle was not unique. Life can get lonely these days. We discuss the unparalleled prosperity of our time, yet it takes two working adults to make ends meet for a family... and that's assuming you have two working adults.

Many single parents struggle to make ends meet, without a partner to help care for the kids or to help pay the bills. Honestly, I don't know how they do it.

With the hectic hustle and bustle of today's world, people don't have time for friends, recreation and hobbies. So, people are becoming lonelier (which accounts for the dramatic rise of social networking internet sites.)

But Jimmy's struggle was unique, in that it was his position as a Christian and a minister that placed him in that lonely state. Many Christians feel the same way. Being a good Christian means the end of going out and having fun, or so many people think.

Hebrews 10:24 says "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works."

To consider means to observe, to get to know someone closely. The Bible here is instructing Christians to get to know each other.

The only way to get to know people is to spend time with them... outside of church. You get to know people by having dinner, going out on the town (bowling, miniature golf, movies, ball games) or by spending time outdoors (hunting, fishing, camping, swimming, barbecuing, etc.)

We were created as social beings. God never intended for us to be lonely. chreporter@mediactr.com