The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
—Genesis 2:18-22

Relationships are the

of a life that is happy, fulfilling, and meaningful.

What people talk about in those final moments…are relationships. —Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General

Relationships can also be the source of our greatest

.

In the United States,

is at epidemic levels.

Your worth does not come from your

status.

Investing in your relationships—with God, spouse, family, and friends—is the

investment you can make.

My additional notes:

The Social Animal

Humans are

by design. (Genesis 2:18)

We are made in the image of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—whose very

is relational.

God said it is not good for us to be

.

According to a 2018 survey, around half of Americans sometimes or always feel like no one

them well (54%),

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or left out (47%), and they are no longer close to

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(49%).

In a 2020 poll,

% said their dating life was not going well.

From 1989 to 2016, the percentage of people in their 20s who are married fell from 27% to

%.

You can be happy without a

, but you can’t be happy without

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.

My additional notes:

Finding Love

Love begins with

together in our relationships with God, family, friends, and potential partners. (Luke 10:38-42)

Jesus chose to spend his life with

disciples. (Luke 6:12-13)

With all the demands placed on him, Jesus still made

to be in community.

Friendship is the

for strong relationships. (John 15:12-15)

Happy marriages are based on a deep friendship. —Dr. John Gottman

According to friendship researcher Dr. Jeffrey Hall, it takes

hours to move from acquaintance to casual friend,

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hours to go from casual friend to friend, and more than

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hours to become a close or best friend.

Time together gives us the opportunity to develop “

”—knowing the other’s inner world.

Before getting married, make sure your values and expectations are

with regard to: faith, conflict, finances, debt, children, parenting, household roles, career plans, where to live.

My additional notes:

Making the Investment

If we want to make new friends or find potential romantic partners, we have to

vulnerability.

When Jesus invited the disciples to follow him, he risked

.

If relationships are a priority in your life, you have to

them.

Stop measuring days by degree of productivity and start experiencing them by degree of presence. —Alan Watt

Love has more to do with what we

than what we

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. Love is “to will the good of the other.” (Proverbs 17:17)

The love that you want in your life…it’s not going to make itself happen. —Arthur Brooks

My additional notes:

Action Steps

1. Trade
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   time for
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   time.
2. Ask
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   questions and listen attentively.
3. Schedule time to be with a
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   .

My additional notes: