Last night the men and I discussed the fact we were never created to be alone. Somewhere in time, the enemy created a misconception that as individuals we are stronger. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is doing life as individuals doesn’t make us stronger but weaker. Ever since the beginning we were called to be in fellowship ( Genesis 2:18 ). Our creator knew that the same relationship he had with His son in Spirit, we must also have in the flesh. The reason is we are created in His likeness ( Genesis 1:26 ) .
The concept of the doing life on your own is not only not practical but also to an extent sinful. The reason is it places all of the attention, power and ability on ourselves. In other words, pride which separates us from our creator. There are many levels of relationship available to us. The first and foremost is our relationship to Jesus. This in turn gives us access to the Father which is made available through the indwelling of the Spirit.
The science confirms…
Stanford University professor and stress expert Dr. Kelly McGonigal provides scientific evidence on the importance of relationships stating: “The basic biology of feeling connected to others has profound effects on stress physiology. The positive effects of social connection include increasing heart rate variability, shifting the nervous system into recovery mode, and releasing relaxing hormones such as oxytocin and vasopressin ( which have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties ). What’s even crazier, is that oxytocin helps your heart repair. It’s pretty poetic that feeling connected to others literally fixes a “broken heart” “.
If we look around, we’ll realize there are relationships available everywhere we turn. Let’s not continue to believe in the lie that we’re on our own because it’s the “manly” thing to do, “no one understands me”, “I can’t trust anyone” or [insert your excuse here]. This is what the enemy wants. Seclusion and separation so like a stray from the herd, we can become easy targets for the take down.
Encouragement:
We were never meant or created to do life on our own. We were made for relationship.
Challenge:
We need foster and work on relationships that are healthy for us. Avoid those that lead us away from the truth of the word. Be deliberate.
How will you commit to grow and build relationships with others?
