By: Kevin Cauley
“No man is an island” is an old saying that means no one can get through this life on their own. We all need the help of others to get by. The life of the isolated is not a very good one. It is full of loneliness, anxiety, self-doubt, and fear. Life is much better when we have other people to interact with. God said, “It is not good that man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). God made humanity a social creature, but interacting with other people can be hard. God wants us to interact with others. The word “interact” does not necessarily imply good interaction, but it has a positive connotation. Some synonyms are to collaborate, cooperate, network, connect, and relate. These words are generally positive. By and large, we want our interactions to be good or, at least, productive.
When God made people to interact with others, it was with the best of intentions. Genesis 1:27 says, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.” God wanted humans to work together to accomplish this goal. Sinful desires thwart God’s purposes and create conflict that inhibits interaction. To further God’s purposes together, we must address that conflict or risk failing to fulfill God’s plan. Resolving conflicts is part of interacting with people, too, and the Bible gives us instructions on how to do this. A large part of this is God’s work through Jesus. Becoming a Christian means that we let Jesus live in us. This creates an environment where our interactions are Christ-centered. Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life.