"Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.'"
Genesis 2:18
Everyone's world is greatly defined by the presence of that introvert. It's probable that that introvert could even be you. Introverts are great people to be with even though they are mostly defined by their timidity, quietness and unwillingness to be vocal in big groups.
God meant some people to be introverted, but the biggest lie that many introverts face today is that God meant introverts to be lonely people.
I'm an introvert myself. My whole life, I have preferred isolation to being with large groups of people, but I have often cursed myself by believing that a desert island would be my biggest blessing from God.
No man is an island. God made everyone to exist in the context of a relationship with other people, even if you're an introverted loner. Colossians 3:14 tells us, "And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
Even introverts were made to thrive and be blessed by relationships with others. Our circles may be smaller and friends fewer, but it's never about the quantity of relationships but the quality.
I cannot imagine what my life would be like without my wife, daughter, parents, siblings, church friends and workmates. Sure, I would still prefer one to two hours of quiet isolation on a porch with a book and a bottle of soda, but that doesn't mean that God made me to be alone for the rest of my life.
It is in relationships that we experience the love and grace of God; that we grow in rebuke, teaching and correction; and that we be a blessing to other people.
In fact, God's ultimate purpose and goal for us is to thrive in relationships. Our primary goal is always to grow in our unimpeded and relentless pursuit of a growing relationship with God and then, as an overflow of God's goodness to us, pour out our lives to other people and be a blessing to them.
It is not God's will for anyone to be lonely. We are meant to be together because we are better together. In John 15:17, Jesus says, "These things I command you, so that you will love one another."
Are you introverted or do you know someone who is introverted and struggling with loneliness? How can you grow in the grace of God manifested through relationships?
