From the day we take our first breath, we have basic human needs for survival; food and water. We have spiritual, emotional and psychological needs. Our mothers’ comfort or our fathers’ advice, maybe even a hug from a sibling, or a listening ear from a grandparent. While each of these needs are different and all of these needs are cured by different remedies, they all have one common denominator. Relationships.

For me, I’m a loner. I need a lot of alone time with just me and God. It’s how I recharge my batteries. Yet, I don’t want to be lonely. I need others in my life. I need healthy relationships. God designed us that way. We’ve all had times in life where we felt lonely and needed a friendship. Much like I’ve shared over the past two weekends in our series “Rows and Circles”, we can show up every single weekend to church and sit down in a row. We can stand up, sing a few songs, listen to a sermon, say a prayer, and then we can go home. That’s how we learn. But how do we begin to change? How do we begin to apply what we have learned in rows to help us grow and live out the purpose that was uniquely crafted for each one of us by the creator of the universe?

Relationship. We need to take what we learn in life and work it out in a circle of relationships.

In the Bible the writer of Acts encourages us to do just this:

“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42 NLT)

That’s how we take information and begin to apply it to be truly transformed. Within our circle; our family, our friends, a life group; we talk about what we are learning and experience life together, celebrate the good together, tackle the bad together, share meals and pray together. I love this verse in scripture that speaks of the benefit of doing life together:

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 NLT)

We need healthy relationships. We need one another to succeed. It’s not always comfortable to begin the process of joining others and stepping outside of my comfort zone and into relationships but when I do, I begin to experience the type of life God designed me to have.

Let me encourage you: If you haven’t already done so, take the step of being disciplined to grow within a circle of friends. As a loner, I’ve developed this discipline and have experienced the power of it first hand. I can promise you that the life long relationships that are built within a circle will strengthen the foundation of your life’s journey and lead to success.

And remember this, if you are like me and are committed to developing your circle of healthy relationships, there are always people around you that need the invitation to connect. As you continue to grow in your circle, keep a prayerful eye opened for those who God brings across your path that are lonely.