Seeking Companionship, Avoiding Loneliness

Seeking Companionship, Avoiding Loneliness

Live happily with the woman you love through all the . . . days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.

Ecclesiastes 9:9

ONE OF THE BENEFITS of being married is companionship. A loving, supportive spouse is good not only for your emotional health, but also for your physical health. Some time ago, a research project involving ten thousand married men, forty years of age or older, found that those who had loving, supportive wives had significantly fewer heart problems. An intimate relationship in marriage enhances physical health.

However, loneliness within the marital relationship is detrimental to health. Marriage is designed by God to provide companionship. God said of Adam, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him” (Genesis 2:18). Essentially, companions share life together. Thus when a married couple communicates with each other daily, they develop a sense of companionship. They are committed to each other. They stand together as they face the uncertainties of life. Something about having a companion makes life more bearable. That was God’s plan. King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes that a wife—and, by extension, a husband—is a gift from God that refreshes us from the toil of daily life.

So as a couple, talk and listen to each other and build your relationship. Don’t allow loneliness to rob your health.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of marriage and the companionship it can bring. I want to bring friendship and partnership to my spouse, not loneliness. Please help us to strengthen our relationship more and more.

Companionship