A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time. (17:17) A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. (18:22)
We need other people. Today, I heard someone speak on the self-sufficiency of God and how He doesn’t need anything or anyone. God is completely sufficient within Himself. However, we were not created like that; we were created to need God and we cannot exist without Him. Those who do not come to know Him and lean on Him now will suffer without Him for all eternity. Additionally, He created us to need each other. At the very beginning of Genesis, before there was sin in the world, the bible says, “It was not good for man to be alone.” God created Eve because Adam needed family and he needed community. They had children and the human race came from them because God has created us to bless each other.
This need we have for others is, in some part, evidence that we are not God. Only He is self-sufficient and He created us to need others to demonstrate that we are not self-sufficient. However, He also created us to exist in families and communities because He wanted to bless us. I love these two Proverbs quoted above. “A friend loves at all times;” true friendship is something that we can rejoice in because a real friend is someone who stays true when everyone else walks away. A brother (whether physical or spiritual) is a gift from God and they serve a significant role in our lives. The bible says, “A brother is born for a difficult time.” Our family members are not a mere coincidence, but God gives us who we need, when we need, them, because He loves us.
When I think of my need for people, there is no one on earth that I need more than my wife. I have truly “found a good thing” in Suzie, and she is a continual source of favor from the Lord in my life. She was God’s perfect love gift to me and I cannot imagine my life without her. Think about the people in your life. Think about your friends and the ways they minister to you. Think about your siblings; many siblings have trouble getting along with each other, but can you see how they were created to be the gift you need when the days are darkest? If you have found a wife (or husband) that is God’s gift to you because He thinks you need them. What kind of friend are you to others; what kind of sibling or spouse? We need others, but they also need us, and they need us to be the best we can be for them when the days are darkest.
