Living in Increase (Part 9) - Increase in HealthSample

Week 4: Social Health

What is Social Health?

Social Health is the ability of individuals to form healthy and rewarding interpersonal relationships with others.

I want to begin this week by discussing social health and focusing on the words “healthy” and “rewarding” in the above definition as it relates to a biblical worldview.

What does good social health look like? I asked Google because, well, why wonder when you can Google? I found a post by a blogger, Seraine Page, from 2020. The article may have been written during the COVID-19 quarantine, but the information is enlightening and valuable. She listed seven characteristics of good social health:

1. Adapting to social situations.
2. Staying true to yourself in all situations.
3. Balancing social and personal time.
4. Being engaged with others in your community.
5. Developing and maintaining friendships.
6. Creating boundaries in friendships and relationships.
7. Having a supportive network of family and friends.

Everything above includes other people. “Other people?” gasped all the introverts reading. Yes, I know. I am a fellow introvert, and I’d rather stay home–alone. But what does God say about being alone?

It is NOT good for man to be alone. Why? Did you know that poor social health can lead to:

1. Inflammation
2. Heart disease
3. High blood pressure
4. Suppressed immune system
5. Chronic health conditions
6. Mental health issues–like anxiety

I feel like a voiceover actor listing off the side effects of a medication commercial. Seriously, though. According to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, “Loneliness can be even more dangerous than smoking.” In 2020, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) reported that “one-third of adults aged 45 and older feel lonely. Of those 65 and older, nearly one-fourth of that population…[are]… “socially isolated.”

God said we weren’t meant to be alone or “isolated.” God knew Adam would be lonely and it wouldn’t be good for him, so He made Eve.

God made us to be socially healthy–to find our people, break bread together, celebrate one another, and serve others as one body.

Monica Barnes

Action Step: Look at the seven characteristics of good social health and identify which ones (if any) you struggle with.