God is Not Enough for You

God is not enough for you.  He can’t care for you as much you need him to.  He can’t support you as much as you need him to.  Why? Because that it is the way he designed it.

In Genesis 2 we read, “The the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.'” Think about that verse for a minute.  When God uttered those words, Adam was living in the Garden of Eden.  His relationship with God was perfect. God wasn’t just nearby, but apparently even used to walk around the garden with Adam.  Adam and God enjoyed an intimate relationship that is beyond something we have ever experienced. Yet, even in the midst of this perfect relationship, something was still missing, and this was not good from God’s point of view.

Jump over to the New Testament.  Paul, writing in 1 Corinthians 12, uses one of his favorite illustrations.  He shares how the human body is the perfect representation of how believers are to be connected to both Christ and one another, that each part is to be perfectly interrelated with the others.  In this passage, Paul explains that we are supposed to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.   He shares that life isn’t meant to be lived alone and that we are supposed to be part of a community.  We’re suppose to serve one another, rely on one another, worship with one another, and be a part of one another’s lives.

God designed us to live in community.   The idea of living out our Christian life on our own, just us and God, doesn’t jive with who we are created to be.  Just like it wasn’t good for Adam, who had a perfect relationship with God, to do life alone, it isn’t good for you or I either.  We need to be in community.

What does community look like?  It means worshiping together at church.  It means being a part of a small group together, growing closer to others as we grow closer to Christ.  It means serving in ministry with others, using the gifts, talents, abilities and passions that God has given us.  It means spending time with others and caring for others.  It means laughing and crying with one another.  Community living means inviting others to be a part of our life, and caring enough to be a part of theirs.

Sometimes it is easy to want to be on our own.  Living in community can be hard, and even frustrating, when people let us down.  Community requires you take a risk, step out, and show up to a group on a weeknight.  It requires you taking the time to sign-up to serve in ministry alongside others.  It means thinking about others, and not just yourself. It can be hard to live in community, but it is worth it.

Why? Because again, in one sense, God is not enough for you.  He can’t care for you as much you need him to, but he has designed a community to care for you as much as you need.  He can’t support you as much as you need him to, but he created a church that can support you as much as you could ever require.  We can’t do this life on our own, at least not as God intended it.

Living alone wasn’t good enough for Adam, and it isn’t good enough for you.