In Genesis, God created a perfect world. After making each thing, He took a step back and saw that it was good. There was only one thing that He wasn’t completely happy with: ‘It is not good for the man to be alone’ (Genesis 2:18 NIV). So, God’s solution to the problem was to ‘make a helper suitable for him’ (v. 18 NIV). He created every kind of animal and showed them to Adam, but even then, ‘no suitable helper was found’ (v. 20 NIV). In the Hebrew text, the word for ‘suitable’ is neged, which can also be translated as ‘corresponding to’ or ‘equal to’. Not only did Adam have all the animals, he also had all of heaven’s inhabitants, and God, as companions. But God recognised that none of them met Adam’s need for a companion who matched him; someone who thought like he did, had the same nature and could understand and sympathise with him from a human perspective. So, God made Eve – the perfect human companion for him. What does this tell us? It shows that God made us with a core need for companionship and knows what we need from it. God’s available to us all the time, to comfort, help, discipline and guide us. He’s the One we can turn to anytime, when things are great and when things aren’t going too well. But He also understands that we need companions like ourselves as well. Sometimes we can try to cope on our own, thinking that needing others is a sign of weakness. But our need to have friends, to love and be loved isn’t a weakness – it’s God’s design for us.
What now?
Notice anyone at your church or school/college/uni who’s quiet and doesn’t seem to have any friends? Go and sit with them. Ask if there’s anything you can help them with.