Not Good
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
(Genesis 2:18)
“Come, let’s climb God’s Mountain, go to the House of the God of Jacob. He’ll show us the way he works
so we can live the way we’re made.”
(Genesis 2:18)
“Come, let’s climb God’s Mountain, go to the House of the God of Jacob. He’ll show us the way he works
so we can live the way we’re made.”
(Isaiah 2:3, The Message)
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
(1 John 4:8)
When we read about God creating the world in Genesis 1, did you notice the repetition of the same simple phrase? Whenever God looked at his creation, we were told that “God saw that it was good.” All of this was meant to set us up for the big moment when a problem pops up in paradise. God looks at the first human being and he says something shocking: “It is not good for the man to be alone.”
We’ve discovered through the coronavirus lockdown that this is true. Loneliness can be as devastating as a virus. We each need to connect with other people – physically, emotionally and spiritually – and when we don’t, we feel a sense of loss and isolation. We find ourselves agreeing with God. It isn’t good for any of us to be alone.
The primary reason for this is that we were made in the image of God. In Genesis 1:1-3, we were introduced to God as Father, Son and Spirit. In Genesis 1:26-27, this three-in-one God created people to reflect the glory of the Trinity through their relationships with one another. The Message paraphrase of Isaiah 2:3 explains that life will only work for us if we live the way we were made to live – as reflections of the God who is by nature a loving community.
So don’t see the months of lockdown as wasted time. God wants to use them to teach us something about his glorious nature and about how we can only thrive as humans by reflecting his glorious nature. Your friendships, your family and your network of neighbours, acquaintances and work colleagues all matter deeply to God. He wants to transform each of those relationships into a mirror through which your earthly life reflects his divine glory.
We’ve discovered through the coronavirus lockdown that this is true. Loneliness can be as devastating as a virus. We each need to connect with other people – physically, emotionally and spiritually – and when we don’t, we feel a sense of loss and isolation. We find ourselves agreeing with God. It isn’t good for any of us to be alone.
The primary reason for this is that we were made in the image of God. In Genesis 1:1-3, we were introduced to God as Father, Son and Spirit. In Genesis 1:26-27, this three-in-one God created people to reflect the glory of the Trinity through their relationships with one another. The Message paraphrase of Isaiah 2:3 explains that life will only work for us if we live the way we were made to live – as reflections of the God who is by nature a loving community.
So don’t see the months of lockdown as wasted time. God wants to use them to teach us something about his glorious nature and about how we can only thrive as humans by reflecting his glorious nature. Your friendships, your family and your network of neighbours, acquaintances and work colleagues all matter deeply to God. He wants to transform each of those relationships into a mirror through which your earthly life reflects his divine glory.
1) What have been your loneliest, most isolated moments during lockdown? What can those moments teach you about the three-in-one God and about how he has created you to reflect the glory of the Trinity?
2) Think of some of the most important relationships in your life. How would it change the way you interact with those people if you saw your friendships as an opportunity to reflect the teamwork of the Trinity?
3) How have some of your church friendships suffered due to lockdown? What could you do today to reconnect with some of your church friends and to re-invest in doing life together with them?
2) Think of some of the most important relationships in your life. How would it change the way you interact with those people if you saw your friendships as an opportunity to reflect the teamwork of the Trinity?
3) How have some of your church friendships suffered due to lockdown? What could you do today to reconnect with some of your church friends and to re-invest in doing life together with them?
Father God, I thank you for all that you are teaching us through the coronavirus crisis. Thank you for the moments when I have felt lonely and isolated. I recognise that they bear testimony to the fact that I am created in your image. Help me to be a good friend to those around me, and to deepen my church friendships, even in this season. Amen.
If you have time, consider carrying on your conversation with God using one of our helpful Prayer Pathways.
Today’s Everyday Devotions have also inspired a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube channel.
Today’s Everyday Devotions have also inspired a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube channel.