Build the 5 Relationships You Really NeedSample

You don’t have a soul—you are one. The Hebrew word for soul, nephesh, is often translated into English as simply “I” or “me.” Greek philosophy taught us to speak of the soul as a higher-level, disembodied part of a human, but Scripture speaks of humanity’s design as body and soul together, an external and internal life completely intertwined. You are an “embodied soul.”

In Genesis 1, God created life of all varieties and the conditions for it to thrive, grow, and reproduce. He called it good. Then God made a human being, and unlike all the other parts of creation, He wasn’t completely satisfied. Genesis 2 is the first time in Scripture we find the word alone. Adam, the first human, had breath in his lungs, a beautiful place to live, a job to do, and delicious food to eat, but he existed in a dissatisfactory state that could only be remedied by a corresponding human. God’s displeasure indicated that all his beautiful, external pleasures were not the path to deep satisfaction for Adam. Rather, the dissatisfactory state of being “alone” meant he could only thrive in the context of relationship.

The state of your relationships is a fair overall assessment of how your life is going. Human life is designed for fulfillment in a state of connection. God designed human souls to be moldable, vulnerable, and permeable to the connections we have. This is not some sort of weird codependency: it’s part of our divine design of belonging. It’s also a reflection of how God Himself lives—always connected as Father, Son, and Spirit.

Unfortunately, modern Western culture has lost sight of this design. We prioritize the accumulation of experiences and possessions—the very ones God knew from the beginning weren’t a remedy for feeling alone! We move away from friendships or cut off family connections to have more adventures or money. Weekly habits that connect us are traded for more convenient digital versions. We increasingly act as if exciting jobs, adventures, or food will provide the soul-satisfying life we seek. However, God looked at all those good things and declared long ago they would not ever fully satisfy a human.

Relationships are what creates fullness of life for you, a human soul. Today, reflect on where/when you feel lonely. Give God thanks for one good relationship in your life.