I have good reason to believe that relationships are important to God. Take a look at the first man, you would think walking with God would have been enough, but it wasn't, Genesis 2 tells of the first human relationship:
"And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:18-24
I was of the mind for quite some time that it could be just me and my Daddy God plus some friends here and there, nothing really deep. A deep longing began and even though I got married to my best friend, we were both lonely in a different way. We didn't have many deep relationships with people until the last 2 years really.
"As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17
The verse above really encapsulates it, conviction from God really moved us to go out there and be vulnerable and try. How rewarding it has been. I have friends that I can call to pray for any need, to laugh with me, to cry with me, just to listen if that's what I need. They love me where I am, and challenge me at times. I am free to be myself with them and they with me and it is one of the best things. I have friends whose houses I can crash anytime and I'd be welcomed with open arms. My husband and I have friends that are couples with whom we both get along with! We consider it all a gift from God and a blessing. We also consider it a necessity, so we try and cultivate those relationships so that they are what God has intended them to be. We don't have a lot of deep friends, we value and cherish each one.
"Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
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