I am reading a book by Andy Stanley on Creating Community and I really felt I should share a portion and a snippet of my perspective:
Genesis 2:18
"God said - it is not good for man to be alone …"
We always look at this verse in the context of marriage; but have you ever thought of it in the context of community? Think about this …
What is striking is that the Fall has not yet occurred. There is no sin, no disobedience, nothing to mar the relationship between God and man. The human being (Adam) is in a state of perfect intimacy with God. He is known and loved to the core of his being by the omniscient, love filled Creator. Yet the word God uses to describe him is "alone." And God said this alone-ness is "not good."
Sometimes in Church circles when people feel alone, we tell them not to expect much from human relationships, that there is inside every human being a God-shaped void that no other person can fill. That is true. But apparently, according to the author of Genesis, God creates inside this man a kind of "human-shaped-void" that God himself WILL not fill.
No substitute will fill this need in you for human relationship. Not money. Not achievement. Not busyness. Not books. Not even God himself. Even though man was in a state of sinless perfection, he as "alone." And it was "not good."
(Andy Stanley)
A couple of quick points that stand out to me:
First, man was in a perfect relationship with God, yet it was still "not good" (enough) that God created a partner = community. God realized the importance of community from the start of creation. God knees man needed others; man alone was not good. Isolation breeds selfishness; isolation blurs perspective.
Second, God WILL not fill this void. God can, but He choose not to. He is a relational being, and we are created in His image; we are relational beings. Get the comparison?
Lastly, being "alone" is not good because it is not how God created us to live. We were created with a desire for God; and the community He created us to reside in helps fulfill this desire. Corporate worship? Corporate prayer? Congregational services? There are key words here: each revolves around COMMUNITY. "The soul cannot prosper without being connected to others" (Henry Cloud).
My encouragement to you is this: don't take the community God has created for you for granted. Church is not just a place you attend to grow closer to God, it is a place where you grow in relationship with God's people; a place where community is created.
I hope this encouraged you like it encouraged me. God is so good! He has given us such amazing people in our lives to fellowship with! Don't let good fellowship pass you by!
(Majority of this post was taken from the book Creating Community by Andy Stanley)
