Made for Community

Solitude is something that we experience every now and then.  You may experience it at work on the drive there.  Also when you’re at your work area, focused on your tasks.  You may experience it when you wake up in the middle of the night.  You experience it in the shower or in the bathroom.  And if you’re single, you experience solitude a lot more often.  Me-time becomes more “me” than what we can stand.

Does solitude make anyone feel lonely?  Does it create a since of discomfort or incompleteness?  For anyone that has felt this before (and I know that you all have at some point in your life), it’s normal.  It’s normal because it identifies something much deeper about ourselves.  That sense of incompleteness.  That discomfort…It’s because of this truth.

We were not created to be alone.  We were created for community.

Having been made in the image of God, our longing for community is part of who we are.  God demonstrates this best in the relationship that he shows us in the perfect community that we see in the bible:  The Trinity.  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Throughout eternity, all three parts have always lived in perfect community.  All three supporting one another.

With such a strong community as The Trinity, it is no wonder that we all have that same desire built right inside of us.  When we are alone, it speaks to the deeper side of us.  That longing for community, to be with others, is in the forefront of our minds.

God saw our need for community since the time that he created Adam.  He said that “it is not good far man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Gen. 2:18)  And with that, he created woman.  Adam now had Eve, a helper that was perfectly suited for him.  This created the first community on earth.

So what can you do the next time that you feel alone?  Reach out to your community.  Whether that’s your friends, family, or spouse, we all have a way to fill this unique longing inside all of us.

And also, if you are alone, you have God.  He is always there.  And if you have no one, connect with a church and some other groups.

When loneliness enters our heart, community is calling.  Don’t ignore this call.  Respond to it and be a part of what we were all made for.