LONELY ME?

Yesterday we talked about our deep need for "community" and meaningful relationships.

Genesis 2:18 (NIV), The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone.

That phrase, "It is not good for the man to be alone…" blows me away. It's an amazing statement.

Keep in mind, God's assessment of Adam's "lonely" condition took place before “the Fall.” God made creation perfect… At this point, sin and disobedience hadn’t entered the picture… Nothing existed that could mar the relationship between God and man…

Adam lived in a state of perfect intimacy with God… But the word God used to describe Adam was the word “lonely.” And God said, Adam's loneliness was "not good."

IT'S CRUCIAL THAT WE GET THIS REALITY: Adam wasn’t lonely because he was imperfect. Adam was lonely because He was perfect. God created us for community, and it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone…

Here's what this means to us: The ache and longing we all have for community and connection is the only ache and longing we have that isn’t a result of SIN… Every other ache we carry is a result of sin… The ache created by guilt, shame, sickness, rejection, fear, you name it… All of that is a result of sin. The ONLY ache and longing we have that isn’t a result of sin is our ache and longing for community, connection, relationships and friendship…

This is stunning! God created paradise for us to enjoy with our friends! In fact, after checking out all He had created, God’s verdict was, “Adam will never be able to fully enjoy all of this without a friend… He needs a companion…” (Genesis 2:18).

This is one of the reasons being a part of a SMALL GROUP is so essential! We need to connect. We long for deep-level, life-giving community.

Pastor Steve DeWitt over on the Biblical Counseling Coalition blog has an excellent post on loneliness, written from the perspective of a pastor. But regardless of whether you're a pastor, the post resonates with what a lot of us feel.

You can read Steve's entire post by clicking here.

In the mean time, if you're a part of a2 Church, look for the coming info on Small Groups. Prayerfully consider hosting or leading a Small Group. Contact Dan Butcher at groups@a2church.org or 205-370-0541 for more info.

Keep in mind: YOU WERE CREATED TO CONNECT! "It is not good for the man to be alone…"