I recently heard a pastor share something I had never really thought about before. When you read through the creation story in Genesis 1, you see a rhythm taking place. The phrase “God saw that it was good” or “it was very good” appears seven times in that first chapter. But then, in Genesis 2:18, before sin ever entered the world, God says something entirely different: “It is not good for the man to be alone.”
I had never really thought about the fact that, before the fall, before brokenness, before any flaw showed up in creation, God identified something as “not good.” He was speaking to the very design of humanity—and the fact that we were not created to live in isolation.
And I think it’s important that we understand that this verse isn’t only about marriage; it’s about the human condition. God designed us for relationship—relationship with Him and relationship with others. This truth echoes throughout Scripture, again and again.
Paul describes the Church as a body in 1 Corinthians 12, each member necessary and valuable, none able to function fully on its own. In Romans 12 and Galatians 6 we’re told to carry one another’s burdens, because life is too heavy to bear alone. Hebrews 10 reminds us not to neglect meeting together, because encouragement and spiritual growth happen in community, not solitude.
The truth is, we need each other. God wired us in such a way that we flourish through connection—through presence, support, honesty, forgiveness, and shared life. Jesus Himself lived this way. Though He could have done His ministry alone, He chose to walk with the Twelve. He invited the outcast, embraced the lonely, and surrounded Himself with community. And then He told His followers, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you love one another” (John 13:35). In other words, love expressed through relationship is the evidence of the Kingdom at work among us.
When we live in right relationship with God and with people, we begin to step into God’s true plan for our lives. We grow, we heal, we mature, and we reflect His heart to the world. And when we isolate—whether out of fear, busyness, pride, or hurt—something in us withers. Loneliness isn’t just an emotional ache; it’s a reminder that we’re living outside the design that God declared “good”.
So maybe today God is inviting us to lean back into relationship: to reach out to someone who needs encouragement; to let others carry our burdens instead of pretending our life is fine. Or maybe He’s simply inviting us to open our hearts once again to community. Because God has made it clear from the very beginning: we were created for relationship, and life becomes “very good” when we walk out our journeys together.
Lord, thank You for creating us for relationship. Forgive us for the ways we hurt each other and for pulling away from others. Help us learn how to forgive and move forward in love and humility. Give us the courage and the wisdom to pursue community the way You designed. And help us reflect Your heart as we walk together. -Amen
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