Don't Be Alone
When we read the story of Jesus, we read a story of a Son who loves His Father. The intimacy between the Father and the Son sustains the Son throughout His life. That is why is it so hard to read that Jesus felt abandoned by God on the cross. They existed eternally in perfect unity, and in the moment of His Son’s greatest pain, the Father had to turn His back on the Son.
After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
These verses are important because it’s not very often that we get a picture of all the persons of the trinity together in the same place at the same time. Most Christians believe that the one God is three eternal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are not the same person, but they are all the one God. They are not each one-third God. They are all entirely God, and they have all lived eternally. It’s probably the most difficult doctrine to understand because it’s not humanly possible, but it’s not necessary for it to be humanly possible.
God is the infinite creator. God is greater than humanity, and if the creation could understand God, we would have a reason to doubt if He truly is the creator. When God created humans, He limited us to one person per soul, one person per being. He did not put the same limitation on Himself. Similarly, Jesus chose to be fully God and fully man at the same time, and He can do that because He is not limited as we are.
In this incredible scene we see the love that each person of the trinity has for the other. You’ve probably heard 1 John 4:8: “God is love.” God is love because God is a relationship. And how does God do relationships? Sacrificial love. So what does that mean for us. It can teach us about marriage (two people becoming one). It can teach us about mature love, sacrificial love, and it can teach us so much more. Having a conversation with your loving Heavenly Father today.
Bear with me here. I am going to give you a theological description of the Trinity, and then I am going to explain why it matters to you. Understanding the Trinity can help us live better lives.
Humans were created in the image of God
God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
We were created to rule over the world. We are not equal to animals.
And notice that God uses the plural word “us” The singular word “me.” Who is he talking about? John chapter 1 tells us that he is at least talking about the three persons of the Trinity. The triune God exists eternally in perfect unity within the godhead. He is one God and three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and let me give you a let me give you an explanation of how these persons exist.
- The Son is eternally begotten of the father.
The king proclaims the Lord’s decree: “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father.”
Jesus is eternal, but He comes from the Father.
- The Spirit is eternally preceding from the Father and the Son.
But I will send you the Advocate —the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.
The Holy Spirit is given by the Son from the Father.
Genesis tells us that the triune God made man in His image, and it’s wasn’t good. Why? If we are created in God’s imagine, we are not created to be alone because God is not alone.
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.”
If you have ever felt the pain of loneliness, you experienced pain because you were living a reality you were note created to live. We were created to live in eternal fellowship.
So to solve this problem, God took a rib from the man’s side and created a woman. Like the Father and the Son, the woman comes from the man. Then, like the Spirit coming from the Father and Son, children precede from the union of the man and woman so that the triune God.
It’s not good for people to be alone.
So what does that do for our understanding of marriage? When we unite with someone in marriage, we are meant to be two persons, but entirely united. We are united financially, relationally, intimately, social, and in every other aspect of life. There should be no separation or secrets between us.
When my wife and I got married, I was surprised by a feeling I did not think I would have. I imagined that we would get married, then wait a few years to have children, but after we got married, I immediately started to develop a desire to add children to our family. It was as if I wanted to expand the love that my wife and I had for each other, and that feeling was solidified when I held my son in my arms for the first time. In that moment, I knew I would do anything for him, and he did not have to do anything to earn that love.
What does this mean for single people? Look at the disciples. If you are called to remain single (many people are), then find a community that you can unite with. Don’t simply hope that you will stumble on a group like this. Make finding a community or building a community a top priority in your life. You were not created to be alone.
I actually hate that we use the word single to refer to people who aren’t married. When done well, these communities live in total transparency with each other. There are no secrets or divisions. Don’t be single. If you’re not called to marriage, allow yourself to get lonely. if you haven’t found your community yet, keep searching.
It is not good for people to be alone.
