Jim Mann
“And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24–25)
William Blake famously said, “A bird, a nest; the spider, a web; man, friendships.” We need relationships.
This ad recently appeared in the personal section of an Atlanta paper:
SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I’m a very good-looking girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I’ll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me. Call (xxx) xxx-xxxx and ask for Daisy.
Turns out, this was an adoption offer for a female black Labrador Retriever from the Atlanta Humane Society. They received 15,000 calls from men all over the country.
Clearly, we need companionship. We want companionship. We were designed for it. God’s plan from the beginning was family … community. On day one, after He created day and night, God said it was good. Day two, heaven and earth—good. On day three, God made land and water—also good. Day four, sun, moon, and stars—all good. On day five, God made the animals, and they were good. Then we come to this summary statement: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed …” (Genesis 1:31)
But on the sixth day, after God made man, we come to this strange and somewhat out-of-place statement: “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him’” (Genesis 2:18)
In all of God’s spectacular creation, the only thing that wasn’t good was man’s singularity. Adam was alone. Why did God go to the trouble to make us? We are here because God wants us to be here, and we are here together because God wants us together.
We need each other; we always have. But we especially need each other when times are tough … as we see “the day” approaching. I don’t know about you, but I see that day coming. We need each other when life gets challenging, when we need encouragement, when we need to be “provoked” to love and good works. We need each other when we begin to face persecution, when we need to know that someone’s got our back. We need to know someone cares.
COVID has done a number on our relationships … but we’re starting to get back to normal. One important step you can take is to get back to church. I’ll see you there!
Jim Mann, Ph.D., pastors New Life Church at Robson Ranch. This interdenominational church meets at the Robson Clubhouse on Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. and online at 10 a.m. Visit www.newlifedenton.org for more information or www.drjimmann.com.