Extreme weight loss, migraines, hypertension, profuse sweating, heart palpitations, anxiety and loneliness are just a few of the symptoms of solitary confinement. Research shows that we were not designed to be alone, especially for long periods of time. We need people!
Do you know why? The answer is simple – God created us for community not isolation. In fact, it was one of the very first issues God dealt with in Genesis 2:18 right after he created the first man, Adam.
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
God knew right from the beginning that the only way we were going to thrive and reach our full potential was by having rich, meaningful relationships with other people. God is so smart.
Sadly, many people choose a life of isolation and loneliness. They justify it by hanging on to a past hurt or rejection. Thinking they are protecting themselves from being hurt further they shun deep intimate relationships only to hurt themselves.
Is that you? Have you been choosing your own self-inflicted sentence of solitary confinement? Have you been letting hurt or rejection become your reason to avoid a life-giving community?
If so, it’s time to climb out of the hole. It’s time to realize your full potential. It’s time to let people love you and it’s time for you to love people again.
God created you for this. It’s his purpose for you and you will never experience the rich life God has for you alone. You need people and people need you.
Here are three powerful truths about why you need people. Read them carefully and ask God to help you apply them to your life.
We need people to achieve what is great.
Jesus said that loving people was the second greatest thing you will ever do with your life.
Think about that for a second. Above your success, above your hobbies or your hurt loving people is the greatest accomplishment you will ever achieve. In fact, the only thing that supersedes it is loving God himself.
Look what Jesus said about why we need people in Matthew 22:37-40.
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
All of scripture is based on these two commands. It is impossible to fulfill the second greatest commandment of all time without loving people. This is why we need them.
We need people to follow Jesus.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to truly follow Jesus without people. Why? Because Jesus was all about people. That’s why he came.
Look what Jesus said in John 15:12-13.
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
First, it’s important to note that this is a command. Which is impossible to fulfill without people. We are to fulfill this command ‘in the same way’ Jesus did. By loving people in genuine, caring relationships and laying our life down for them. That’s called sacrifice.
We need people so we can carry their burdens.
We want people to care about us. That’s human nature and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem arises when that’s all we want.
Do you want to know how to make your problems smaller and in some cases totally disappear? Start carrying someone else’s burdens. In other words, start helping someone else besides yourself.
Look what Galatians 6:2-3 teaches us.
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
Isolation is a choice and not a godly one I might add.
Let me ask you this – Do you want less anxiety in your life, less loneliness, less anger, more fulfillment? In other words, do you want to live a happier, healthier life?
If you answered yes then it’s time to involve people. It’s the way God designed us. It’s not good for you to be alone.
Action Steps:
- What steps can you take to start involving other people in your life? Maybe you could join a group or a church and start building relationships.
- Who around you is going through a struggle? Connect with them this week and help them in a special way. Not only will it encourage them but it will bring you joy.
- Ask Jesus to give you the strength to fulfill his greatest commandments.
