I have known professing Christians who say they don’t need to go to church or to be around other Christians to maintain a vibrant faith, but this is contrary to Scripture (Heb. 10:25). We are all like sheep and we need to stick together. Regardless of how discouraged we may become with the church when conflicts or disappointments arise, it is imperative that we worship together and enjoy the mutual encouragement of our faith that can only be found within the community of  believers.

“Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone”- Gen. 2:18

Robert and I are enjoying the History Channel’s fascinating reality survival series “Alone”. The show is a self-filmed documentary of 10 individuals who were dropped off in different places in the northern wilderness on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. They are completely isolated from each other and the outside world and must learn to live off the land with  just a few supplies. Their only companion, so to speak, is their video camera and a phone to make a single call when they “tap out”. The last one remaining wins a half million bucks.

The first couple of weeks is primarily about setting up camp and figuring out how to survive, and some of them bail at this point. It’s been very interesting to see how those who master this challenge become introspective and start contemplating the reason for their existence. For some, the lure of a hefty prize is overshadowed by their inability to be totally alone as they realize that life without other people becomes utterly meaningless.

God understood this when he created Adam. Unlike the contestants on Alone, the first man on earth was placed in a perfect ecological environment that had not yet been ravaged by the effects of the Fall. He was given a Garden to cultivate with a wonderful food supply, harmless animals and birds to name, and had direct communication with the God who created him. And yet God said it was not good for him to be alone and so He made Eve.

Our first parents were a prototype of a much grander theme that God had in mind when he sent his Son to redeem His Bride. Though God does not will everyone to be married, He has given us a beautiful picture through the institution of marriage between a man and a woman that reflects His relationship with His people (Eph. 5:22-27). This ought to encourage every Christian as we remember that God did not intend for us to live in isolation regardless of whether we live alone or with others. As believers we  have corporately become part of His Bride, thus we are also members of one another. (I Cor. 12:12;  Rom. 12:5). We were created so that we might enjoy companionship with God and also with His family.

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