God didn't design us to do life alone.

A 10-part faith-based blog series: Week 4

The title for this post might make you think I’m referring to a romantic relationship. That is not at all the case.

What I do mean is we need people around whom we can walk through life together. 

Single people tend to not get nearly the amount of physical touch needed to feel connected and to overcome loneliness. This is not limited to single people, but the lack of other humans around if you are single and live alone makes human touch less accessible. 

It means as a single person, we have to make more of an effort to get the human touch we really need and that can be really difficult. 

This is especially true if you are single and also an introvert, which is the case for me. 

I have learned over the years how to reach out and initiate interactions with people. Let’s be honest, though. A lot of people are not very good at responding or understanding a single person’s need for touch. 

And there are times when I get tired of reaching out and initiating. Not many people are very good at reaching out. Singles tend to naturally have less people in their lives that take up their time, attention, and energy, but that doesn’t mean we are less busy. 

As single people, we have to continually put ourselves out there and that can get exhausting. However, if we are able to find people who have learned to initiate and reach out those people are as good as gold. 

My church family is where I have found this. I am loved and accepted and chosen and checked on to make sure I’m doing okay. 

I am a very independent, self-reliant person. This paired with my introverted personality and being a single person all adds up to a struggle to invite people into my life, ask for help, and depend on others. 

I have realized that I desperately need God, but I also really need people. I need people I can reach out to for help, for prayer, for company, for touch, and I need all these things more than I need my independence. 

Psalm 73:26, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” 

I believe God calls us to be completely dependent on Him and interdependent on people. 

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ,” Galatians 6:2.

Healthy friendships are an amazing gift from God. 

We don’t need to pretend we’re okay on our own. We are okay, but we still need people. 

Here are some ideas for pursuing healthy friendships with people in your life:

• Invite yourself over to a married friend's house.

• Spend time with people in all walks of life. 

• Ask for help with something you might not have before.

• Invite a friend to join you for dinner or go grocery shopping together. 

If you’re struggling with loneliness and are not sure how to have the energy, strength, and courage to reach out, you are not alone. Schedule a free consultation today to help you move forward in friendship and interdependence on others.