From Loneliness to Solitude

Read Genesis 2:18

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” (NLT)

The first thing God called ‘not good’ in his creation was aloneness. Since he himself was relational (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the one he made in his own image was also relational. And no animals or birds or fish or natural landform was adequate. The human being needed another human being. But not just any human being: God created gender, sexuality, to enhance and further define human relationships.

Ever since, we have longed for relationship. Even those who seem to withdraw from human contact may well be doing so out of the pain of damaged relationships. And those who simply choose to be utterly alone, needing no one, are denying an essential part of their God-given identity.

Loneliness is such an issue because it is unnatural. We feel no-one cares or understands. We may feel unsafe. It is not the same as aloneness: we can be lonely in a crowd. The remedy for loneliness is not frantic socialising. This can just mask the deeper issue.

And nor is the fact we were made for relationship mean we can’t enjoy aloneness. The human language uses the word loneliness for the pain of being alone, and the word solitude for the comfort of being alone. With the help of our Creator, we work to change the desert of loneliness into the oasis of solitude.

Blessings
David Reay