As human beings, we were never created to be alone. We thrive in relationships because that’s the way our brains are hardwired. Every day we have countless opportunities to form friendships; however, not all of them are positive or uplifting. If we want harmony in our relationships with others, our first relationship should be with God.
When God created Adam, He didn’t just stop there. He realized something was missing because Adam was all alone; He therefore created Eve. “Now the Lord God said, It is not good (sufficient, satisfactory) that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him” (Genesis 2:18, AMPC). We’re better together; God’s plan was to keep Adam—and us, as well—from being isolated by going through life alone.
Adam and Eve’s lives were greatly enriched not only by their relationship with each other but also with God, Himself. As far as God wanting a close, personal relationship with His people, nothing has changed to this day. He loves us very much, and wants to be part of our everyday lives. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (Revelation 3:20, NLT). Accepting His invitation allows Him to bless all our friendships.
God’s will for us is to succeed; we’re much more likely to experience success when we’re in healthy relationships. Surrounding ourselves with the right people strengthens and centers us, and helps us make wise decisions in life. Associating with godly friends helps us grow and mature as Christians. “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NLT).
On the other hand, making friends with the wrong people hurts us in the long run. God warns us away from such people because they lead us down the wrong path in life. “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:33, NIV). Toxic relationships influence us to make poor decisions and keep us from enjoying life.
We see too many hopeless people trapped in unhappy relationships around us. This is because the world doesn’t know God, and therefore doesn’t know how to form all their personal relationships on Him as the bedrock. A relationship with God gives us hope, something the world lacks but desperately needs. “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Inviting Jesus Christ into our lives lets Him bring His perfect love and joy into imperfect, joyless, relationships.
God is not some impersonal, faraway God. He’s with us every day, whether we know it or not, and He plans on sticking around. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness”(Isaiah 41:10). Walking with Him daily gives us the wisdom and insight we need to make wise decisions in choosing our friends. Although we’re free moral agents with the ability to make our own decisions about who we spend time with, following God’s guidance in this area strengthens us against the temptation to run with the wrong crowd.
God wants the best for us. Letting Him guide us in forming friendships gives us success. Putting Him first will bring us joy in all our relationships.