Don't hide from people who love you

There’s a reason why God put us on this planet with 8 billion other people: It’s not good for us to be lonely.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

Adult friendships are hard. Have you noticed that? I was talking about this with someone the other day, but when you’re a kid, you have so much expendable time. At least, that’s how it worked when I was a kid. (Anybody else miss the 80s?)

When you’re a grown up, you have so much responsibility. You have to pay bills. You have to pay taxes. You have to eat healthy food. You have to wear shoes! It’s awful!

Maintaining friendships and relationships with other adults is a challenge. There are expectations. There are obstacles. There are distractions and anxieties and priorities that get in the way, and it’s just so much easier to stay home.

Yes, I’m an introvert, but I know some extroverts who get this. Life is hard. People are hard. And friends, no matter how much you love them, can get to be too much. Community can be overwhelming. It can be demanding. It can be frustrating.

But there’s a reason why God put us on this planet with 8 billion other people. It’s not good for us to be lonely. It’s not good for us to be isolated. We get into our own heads. We make up stories that aren’t true and start to believe them. We stop taking care of ourselves.

We need other people in our lives. It’s hard, yes. It takes effort, yes. But like anything else in your life that’s good for you, it won’t happen by itself. You have to invest time and energy into other people before you see the returns.

Christians need real community now more than ever. If you want to live a resilient life, you need a community that invests in you, relationships that refresh you, and friendships that make you better.

Don’t hide yourself. Don’t isolate yourself because community is too hard. Lean on God, and get out of your house. Trust the Lord, and invest in other people.

Questions for Reflection

• What is your greatest fear about getting involved in a community?

• What makes adult friendships so much harder than the ones from our childhood?

• If you’re isolating yourself for whatever reason today, what would need to happen for you to change course?

Weekly Memory Verse