From the Desk of Melissa Reinert…

“And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’” Genesis 2:18

One of the first dilemmas faced by mankind was loneliness.

In Genesis 2:18, the Lord Himself said it was not good for Adam to be alone. The Lord recognized Adam’s need for companionship, not only with Him, but also with a friend, a help mate, another human being like him. So, God created Eve.

And Adam’s response is so beautiful. He said, according to verse 23 of Genesis 2: “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh…” This was the start of a relationship, not only the companionship between a husband and wife, but also human to human.

Relationships are essential to relational beings, like God’s children. As the old adage says: “Two heads are better than one.” We naturally thrive off each other.

In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 King Solomon says: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

And in Proverbs 27:17, he writes: “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

The early church and today’s church thrive on fellowship. Paul throws out a warning in Hebrews 10:25 to not forsake the assembly of ourselves. Instead, we are to strongly encourage one another. Paul goes on to note that it’s even more important to do this as we see “the Day approaching.” He’s speaking of Christ’s return, which we are closer to than other generation of believers.

Relationship is biblical. It’s practical. It’s necessary. For the next several weeks we are going to embark on a study of relationship, delving into the Word, reviewing the biblical standards for the various types we experience in our lives. Stay tuned.