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Why Christians must show Mutual Concern for One another.

 Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. Psalm 142:4.


Christians in the church should have mutual concern for one another, this is what it means to be part of the body of Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:25. It’s takes good pastoral leadership to foster this sense of concern, and where it is missing, individuals who are suffering in the church are overlooked and not supported. Every believer needs support and encouragement, but when this is missing, the church divides and loses it power and testimony. Christians live like the world, and become vulnerable to Satan’s attacks when nobody is supporting them outside the church. I used to belong to an evangelical church which had great leadership, and something called small groups. This church felt like a family and I had people who shared my Christian walk with me when I was not in the church building. I have been attending a different denomination that doesn’t have these small groups, and it feels like the church is only the church while in church. There is no biblical fellowship or mutual concern outside of the church, which leaves you feeling that this type of Christianity is just for the weekend. I serve in the church, because it’s the denomination that I grew up attending, but growing up I was not born again. I somehow wish that churches like this were more biblical, showing mutual concern for other Christians is a part of my calling as a Christian, but when this never happens in a church, or only happens when you attend church, something is wrong with the leadership or something is wrong with the congregation. As believers we want to feel that we are actually a part of the body of Christ, because when this is missing, a very important part of the bible is being overlooked, not believed, or just can’t be obeyed because the majority of the congregation may not be saved in the first place.


“Nobody cares for my soul.” In Psalm 142:4 David expressed words like this, but in my stage in life, I can really relate to David. I became a born again Christian in 1995, but I never felt alone in my life. Maybe because I was younger, and the world was a different place, I hadn’t experienced any kind of hardship in my life, I was only twenty one. I had a lot of friends, and even the thought of being alone, was answered very quickly by a phone call from a friend, inviting me out or coming over to keep me company. The idea of the church meeting my needs, didn’t register in my mind, because religion and church was a place I would go to on the weekend or once during the week. My social needs were met, and my religious needs were being met. I had employment so my financial needs were also being met. Until I had a mental health crisis in 1999, when all my security changed. 


When my previous needs stopped being met, I thought I could look to the church to fill in the gap. I tried a different denomination and was surprised to find out how much people actually cared for each other. At this time, God was using his church to fill the needs that in the past, were being met by family and friends and employment. I wish that I could say that the church has been consistent, I’m turning 52 tomorrow which is November the 2nd, 2025, but I find myself more isolated than I have ever been at any point of my life. It’s not that I’m hiding from the church, I serve in the Catholic Church I grew up attending when my family moved to this town when I was in grade two. 


Everything has changed about my home town. All the people are different, and it’s become hard to be noticed and even cared for in a town that once felt like home. The evangelical church that felt like home to me, informally accused me of division because I posted something about mindfulness meditation that I was using for my depression. Eventually that fellowship fell apart, it was a worldwide fellowship of churches, which fired their founding leader and pastor, shortly after I left one of their churches. The fellowship renamed the churches all over the world, and after inquiring with the Elders, I was welcomed back to attend. Unfortunately I couldn’t officially rejoin because I don’t drive, and not driving became a problem because I would have to attend faithfully and consistently. 


Trying to rebuild your life for all of these years is extremely hard, especially when things don’t work out the way you thought they would. There are a lot of lonely people out there, and I’m sure a lot of them attend my childhood Catholic Church. Maybe coming together once a week is better than nothing, I do enjoy the hour spent with my Catholic family, and maybe this is all God has for me right now. I’m prepared to accept this as it is, because a little loneliness can’t hurt you that much. This is Mike.


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