Companionship
“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Genesis 2.18
The man, Adam, had been created with a special touch from his Creator-God. Literally, the world was placed into his care. He had been instructed to tend to the Garden of Eden, and to enjoy the fruits of it. All of the animal species had been paraded before him and he had named each one. The Garden was his home and the world was his playground. He had the perfect relationship with God.
Within the hearts of followers of Christ, there are moments in which we long earnestly for a sense of God’s presence. We go to remote areas in order to enjoy nature and to experience solicitude away from the fray and din of this world’s cacophony and bustle. Often while musing in our current positions we think, “If I could only get away.” After all, even Jesus went apart, by Himself, to pray and be with the Father.
Someone once quipped, “If we never come apart, we are destined to fall apart.” While that is true, we should never come apart for the rest of our lives. God created man with a need for someone to fulfill him – someone with whom he could converse and share experiences.
God knew that man, without companionship, was incomplete. After viewing all the possibilities for choosing a personal pet, Adam was still left empty. He saw dogs, cats, and other furry creatures. None would offer him the companionship he needed to survive. Very possibly, with the animals still close by, God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” But, wasn’t God there? Indeed, God was there, but man needed someone to complete his singular existence.
Having prepared a mate – someone who could complete him and share his life’s events – God chose to form the man’s mate from existing, related materials – Adam’s rib. They two were inseparable.
Then entered the Tempter. In the form of a serpent, Satan sought to separate the two from a one-flesh relationship and to remove them from the blessing of God. The Serpent’s ploy was to divide and conquer – to leave man in a position without fellowship with either his help meet or his Creator. Fortunately for us, God stepped in again to emphasize man’s need for obedience (a requirement for fellowship with God) and common submission between the two humans toward each other. (Ephesians 5.21)
Satan is still using common tactics because they tend to work well for his purposes. Our modern world is filled with devices and opportunities to “tune-out” the rest of the world. Wonderfully deep communication between two people has devolved into emotion packed, sensual exchanges in which too many are offended by the truth. We walk around blindly staring at a small screen while the world of needy people, including ourselves, passes by mostly unnoticed by us. We sit at the dinner table playing games while eating our gruel without recognizing the person sitting across from us – and, not realizing their need for fellowship. We sit at home on Sundays suggesting that we can get as much from a live-streamed religious program as we can from being present at church and in person.
As far as I can ascertain, I have never had an iPhone or a TV hug me when I turned on a church service. And, while I might be able to receive a blessing from watching, it is impossible to be a blessing to others. We must remember that church is about family – it is about being an encouragement to others as well as a personal blessing.
This Sunday when you attend your church family gathering, look around the group. There are many who need your presence – they may need your hug – they certainly need your encouragement. Church should never be solely about what the meeting offers me, but it should be what I can do to help others along the way. It is about companionship on this difficult road of life.
Within the hearts of followers of Christ, there are moments in which we long earnestly for a sense of God’s presence. We go to remote areas in order to enjoy nature and to experience solicitude away from the fray and din of this world’s cacophony and bustle. Often while musing in our current positions we think, “If I could only get away.” After all, even Jesus went apart, by Himself, to pray and be with the Father.
Someone once quipped, “If we never come apart, we are destined to fall apart.” While that is true, we should never come apart for the rest of our lives. God created man with a need for someone to fulfill him – someone with whom he could converse and share experiences.
God knew that man, without companionship, was incomplete. After viewing all the possibilities for choosing a personal pet, Adam was still left empty. He saw dogs, cats, and other furry creatures. None would offer him the companionship he needed to survive. Very possibly, with the animals still close by, God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” But, wasn’t God there? Indeed, God was there, but man needed someone to complete his singular existence.
Having prepared a mate – someone who could complete him and share his life’s events – God chose to form the man’s mate from existing, related materials – Adam’s rib. They two were inseparable.
Then entered the Tempter. In the form of a serpent, Satan sought to separate the two from a one-flesh relationship and to remove them from the blessing of God. The Serpent’s ploy was to divide and conquer – to leave man in a position without fellowship with either his help meet or his Creator. Fortunately for us, God stepped in again to emphasize man’s need for obedience (a requirement for fellowship with God) and common submission between the two humans toward each other. (Ephesians 5.21)
Satan is still using common tactics because they tend to work well for his purposes. Our modern world is filled with devices and opportunities to “tune-out” the rest of the world. Wonderfully deep communication between two people has devolved into emotion packed, sensual exchanges in which too many are offended by the truth. We walk around blindly staring at a small screen while the world of needy people, including ourselves, passes by mostly unnoticed by us. We sit at the dinner table playing games while eating our gruel without recognizing the person sitting across from us – and, not realizing their need for fellowship. We sit at home on Sundays suggesting that we can get as much from a live-streamed religious program as we can from being present at church and in person.
As far as I can ascertain, I have never had an iPhone or a TV hug me when I turned on a church service. And, while I might be able to receive a blessing from watching, it is impossible to be a blessing to others. We must remember that church is about family – it is about being an encouragement to others as well as a personal blessing.
This Sunday when you attend your church family gathering, look around the group. There are many who need your presence – they may need your hug – they certainly need your encouragement. Church should never be solely about what the meeting offers me, but it should be what I can do to help others along the way. It is about companionship on this difficult road of life.
Copyright © 2024 Dr. John H. Hill, All rights reserved.
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