by: Cris Corzine-McCloskey

The above title is something God said in Genesis 2:18. It is also the most frequently cited verse used in my office by lonely clients. Single people and those cut off from friends and family like to use this verse. Each time they do there is an underlying complaint leveled at God. They are saying, “God, if you said it’s not good for me to be alone, why aren’t you providing me with companionship?”

Hey, I get it. Loneliness is one of the most significant problems people face. Is God insensitive to this? I don’t think so. I believe there was a lot more going on in Genesis 2:18 than meets the eye.

For starters, let’s look at the scripture in its entirety. God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Then God made Adam a human companion, Eve. It didn’t take long before the two of them made a mess of things.

After that, the Bible is filled with stories of broken human relationships. The first thing Adam did when confronted with his sin was to throw Eve under the bus. The first sibling relationship ended in murder. Things got so bad God had to wipe out nearly everyone and start over with Noah. People didn’t go much better after that.

Abraham lied about his wife, Sarah, to save his own skin. Twice. Isaac, the child of promise, lied about his wife for the same reason. Their boy, Jacob, stole his brother’s inheritance. His sons threw their brother, Joseph, down a well and sold him into slavery. And that’s just the first book of the Bible. Even Jesus’ own family didn’t believe in Him until after the resurrection. No one has been immune to poor relationships and toxic human drama. No one.

Do you think it’s possible that God, foreseeing all of this, wasn’t talking about Eve when He said He was going to give us a helper?

At the Last Supper Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.” Who was that Helper? It certainly was not a human; it was the Holy Spirit. You see, God was right, it’s not good for man to be alone. We need serious help. But another human was never the answer. God has never been one to give us a problem that He wasn’t the solution for. Jesus did not go through the trouble of living in the flesh, dying for us, then stuffing Himself inside of us, to leave us so needy that we can’t make it without a human. It’s nice when we have it (most of the time), but it should not make us or break us.

I’m a fan of human relationships. So much so I have them. Friendships, marriage, family. It’s all good, but it’s not my all in all. And it’s not always been that way. When I was doing time for my drug arrest, I had never been so lonely. You know what I found out? You will never know God is all you need until God is all you’ve got. Let Him be your all in all. Trust Him to be the answer to every problem, including loneliness. He is the one who promises never to leave you or forsake you. That’s a better deal than you will ever find with somebody with skin on!

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