I’m sure we have all been feeling it more than ever lately – that need for relationships, and how much they really matter. God showed that early on, in the book of Genesis, when He created man, and then stated in Genesis 2:18 that “it is not good for man to be alone.” So he created a helpmate, and from there, people multiplied and filled the earth.

    

But it’s intriguing to me how someone can be so lonely in a world filled with people. I’ve even heard of cafes around the world whose sole purpose is to gather lonely people together during a certain time of day, just so they have someone they can talk to. They are given the questions to discuss, and then they part ways, only to come together again when they feel that need for relationships. There are no exchanges of phone numbers or addresses – it’s strictly a set time to have social interaction). This is somewhat sad to me, as it has to be so orchestrated.

    

One of the best places to find beneficial relationships is among Jesus followers. Even when Jesus was dying on the cross, He was making sure John would care for His mother. Paul instructed believers in I Timothy 5 to treat others as family, and then in Psalm 68:6, God talks about making a home for the lonely. Throughout Scripture, there is constant instruction of how to deal with relationships as a priority in our daily walk.

    

As we look at these last few months, I pray that we will value those relationships more than ever, realizing that they are a gift from God. And I pray that it also encourages us to get beyond ourselves and reach out to those around us. We were made for relationships – with our wonderful Creator, and with one another. What a gift!