“It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18)

Have you ever watched a movie alone and wished you had someone to laugh about it with? Have you ever witnessed something breathtaking or had an amazing experience on your own, only to find your recounting of the experience with others fell flat because, well, “I guess you had to be there”? Do you find yourself scrolling through your social media streams, feeling like everyone else is ‘in’ on whatever it is while you observe, alone, from afar?

We were created to belong. To have a crew. A people to share life and experiences with. To be a part of a family and community where our joys become their joys, where their sorrow becomes our sorrow. Where we feel seen and known on the deepest levels. Where we can laugh and play. Where we can encourage and support one another through trying times and challenging transitions.

In Genesis 2:15-25, we see that after creating Adam, God assigns him the task of naming the animals. As Adam carries out this task, he realizes that there is none comparable to himself. Here, Adam discovers his inborn longing for companionship, of the need for a compatible partner to experience the goodness of God’s creation with. This longing is deeply embedded in us as part of how we are made in the “image of God” (Genesis 1:26). God, in his very essence, is a divine unity in diversity, being three distinct persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) as one divine being.

There is a great mystery here, but it is amazing to consider that God, from all eternity, has existed in an unceasing intimate and interactive relationship between the members of the Trinity. God is inherently relational and has invested this capacity within each of us as his image-bearers, which is why the command to love undergirds everything God does and requires of us (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:34-40). God is perfect love; his love is perfectly and eternally expressed through the members of the Trinity toward one another. A love he extends into the creation of the world, endowing us with the capacity to experience and express love with others.

Maybe you love being around people – you need to be around people, but you struggle being vulnerable and going deep with others. You thrive on being in the middle of the action, the life of the party, the go-to guy or gal. But you struggle to let people in, to see the real you. You struggle being too committed to a person or group out of fear of missing out on something exciting around the bend. Or, maybe you’re more like me. You love people, you love deep conversation and meaningful connection, but you’re fairly comfortable going at it alone. You want to be a part of things that are happening, you want to be invited and included, but more often than not you struggle with showing up.

Whatever your general disposition, you need to challenge yourself to press in, go deep, and show up. You feel that longing for a deeper connection. You sense that deep desire to be involved and share experiences with others. Perhaps the current state of our culture has caused this inherent need to poignantly surface all the more for you. I encourage you, now more than ever, ENGAGE. If you are waiting for the right moment, the right opportunity, the right set circumstances, the right group of people – then time will continue to pass you by with the chasm of disconnection and loneliness widening with each passing day.

It’s really up to you. Be intentional. Take hold of the opportunities in front of you. Connect with a neighbor! Establish a regular connecting point with a good friend. Join or even start a small group within your church! Organize a regular neighborhood gathering! The sky’s the limit! Yes, it will uncomfortable. Yes, it will be inconvenient. Yes, it will require some degree of sacrifice – then again, everything that’s worthwhile does. It’ll likely push you to reevaluate your priorities and values, where you and/or your family invest your time and energy. But there’s no better time than now.