The Loneliest Number!

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:25 pm by Robert C. Crosby

The Loneliest Number! 2015-03-13T23:25:53-04:00 Robert C. Crosby

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“It is not good for …man to be alone…” – Genesis 2:18

“One is the loneliest number …” -Harry Nilsson

Friendship is like food; we need it to survive!

You and I are Formed for Friendship, we are only at our best when they are at their best. When you cultivate and tend to the health of your friendships, you are taking care of yourself in more ways than you may know.

In recent years health researchers have proven that one of the biggest health hazards in our society is stress. But, perhaps even more important to recognize, is that one of the greatest causes of stress is loneliness or isolation.

The Bible tells us that right after God created Adam, even though he shared a relationship with God at that time, God looked at this first man and said: “It is not good for the man to be alone (Gen. 2:8).” Those words were not only a spiritual diagnosis, but psychological, as well. The fact was [and still is] that it just wasn’t good for that man to be alone even in such a plenteous place as the Garden of Eden.

Although our worlds are much fuller and busier today than they were in Adam’s, the diagnosis still fits, doesn’t it: “It is not good for … [people] to be alone.”

An article in Psychology Today affirmed that point: “…human beings have [a] fundamental need for inclusion in group life and for close relationships. We are truly social [beings]… we function best when this social need is met. It is easier to stay motivated, to meet the varied challenges of life.”

Here’s how Psychology Today says it:

“…when our need for social relationships is not met, we fall apart mentally and even physically. There are effects on the brain and on the body. Some effects work subtly, through the exposure of multiple body systems to excess amounts of the hormones of stress. …unmet social needs take a serious toll on health, eroding our arteries, creating high blood pressure, and even undermining learning and memory.

A lack of close friends …bring(s) the emotional discomfort or distress known as loneliness. We … feel an emptiness. We feel isolated … These feelings tear away at our emotional well-being.”

Here’s how God says it: “It is not good for …man to be alone…”

You couldn’t live life without food. You cannot live a full life without friendship! So then, great friendships are not only good for your mind and your soul … they are also good for your health. Robert Louis Stevenson said it well: “A friend is a gift you give yourself.”

When you take care of your friendships, remember, you are ultimately taking care of yourself.

“Two are better than one…” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 AMP).

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