It’s Lonely at the Bottom

In the mid twentieth century people were fond of saying, “It’s lonely at the top.” This sentiment was the theme for numerous songs, stories, and movies. It seemed that being at the bottom of the economic ladder was a little easier to deal with if we could convince ourselves that those who made it to the top were lonely and unhappy. Even as recently as 2006 this theme was played out in The Devil Wears Prada where the Ann Hathaway character is miserable in her newly acquired high-profile, high-paying position with the major fashion magazine in the United States.  At the end of the movie she does find true happiness when she quits the magazine, takes a low paying job at a socialist newspaper located in a filthy little office and reunites with her live-in boyfriend.

Both in my personal experience and in observing other people’s lives, I have not found the sentiment that it’s lonely at the top to be true. In fact, I believe there is ample evidence that the Donald Trumps and Kim Kardashians of this world have no shortage of “friends.”  If you are in doubt, just turn on your computer and glance at your homepage; the rich and famous are America’s answer to royalty.

There is, however, ample evidence to support the notion that it is lonely at the bottom. Today we are going to discuss two examples from the Bible that deal with this subject.

The prodigal son was loved by his father and given a wonderful life. In order to continue in that life, the only thing he had to do was stay close to the father.  One day, however, the son came to the father and told him that he wanted his portion of the inheritance, and the father agreed to give it to him. A few days later the son left the father’s presence and traveled to “a distant land” where he squandered everything he had on parties and prostitutes.

When the money was gone, however, the friends and prostitutes who had partied with him also disappeared. When he was starving, the son found a job feeding pigs—not a good place for a Jewish boy to be. Finally, he became so hungry that even the pods that he fed the pigs looked good to him. “And no one gave him anything.” (Luke 15:11-16, Living Bible)

Next, consider Job. He made none of the mistakes of the prodigal son. God described Job as “the finest man in all the earth—a good man who fears God and turns away from all evil.” Job was honored in his community and respected as a man of wisdom and good judgment. However, Job also lost everything: his material wealth, his children, and his health.

When Job was the most miserable and literally asking God to kill him so that he could escape the pain and suffering that was now his life, his former friends came to “comfort” him. Did they offer any sort of tangible help? Of course not! They spent days accusing Job and telling him that, apparently, he was a wicked sinner who was finally receiving the punishment that he deserved.

It is easy to understand the story of the prodigal. He finally came to his senses, confessed that he had sinned, and was reunited with the father. Having regained his position at the top, he found that his former friends were eager to attend the party that the father gave to welcome him home.

The story of Job is much more difficult to understand. The Bible makes it clear that Job was blameless. He lost everything, but his suffering was not a result of anything that he had done. Yet, he was vilified by everyone who knew him and told that he should confess that he had sinned and was getting the punishment that he deserved.

It seems to me that a lot of Christians are now finding themselves in Job’s position. They have been faithful, but they have lost jobs, homes, and families, either to the economy or the natural disasters that have plagued our country during the past few months. They have prayed, and trusted God, and done everything they could do to make things better, but nothing has improved. Friends and family members have cut off contact because they don’t want to be asked for help. These brothers and sisters in Christ are at the bottom, and they are lonely.

If you know someone who is going through tough times, take the time to be a genuine friend to them. Maybe you are going through hard times yourself and don’t have any money to offer. That’s okay; you can still be a friend. Call them regularly and let them know that you care. Don’t start every conversation by asking whether they have found work yet. Encourage them and let them know that you are praying for them daily. Let them know that you are their friend whether they are at the top, at the bottom, or somewhere in between. Being a friend to someone who is suffering is one of the best things that you can do for them; after all, it’s lonely at the bottom.

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