The Sacredness of SinglenessSample

## Real Relationships God is a relational God. He is interested in having a relationship with us, and he also desires for us to have relationships with one another. He put us on earth together. We are here together, therefore, to learn to relate to and understand one another. John Donne, a great English poet, wrote a famous poem : “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”  Relationships have an effect on us. There is power in the connections we make with other people. Two thousand years ago, Jesus summed it up for us. The religious scholars were trying to trap Him, so they asked Jesus which was the greatest command. Most of us know His response, which is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself. He shut the scholars down by adding a piece that is very significant. He said, “For all the law and prophets are based on these two commandments.” Jesus Himself is saying that life is all about relationships. Behavioral sciences are figuring all that out. We are seeing that on every level, whether it is psychological, behavioral, emotional, or physiological, people who are in strong relationships fare better. No matter where you are developmentally, if you have strong relationships, you will fare better on every one of those levels. Even if the relationships are primary ones, such as those with your parents and peers, or ones later in life, with a spouse and children, relationships matter. They contribute greatly to your health and well-being. We are in relationships whether we like it or not. Even if you are single, you are constantly interacting with people. Your friends, coworkers, siblings, and so forth. God did not create you to be an island, isolated from humanity. He wants you to love others. If you are going to live this life being the best version of yourself, be intentional and cultivate love in your relationships. Love and grow with others.