Genesis 2:18 (NLT) is a significant verse when it comes to the record of God’s creation. It lets us in on the conversation God is having with His beloved Son and Holy Spirit, saying: “Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”” Genesis 1:31 tells us that everything God made was good, but the creation of Eve shows us that He wasn’t done yet—He had a specific plan still unfolding. Our Heavenly Father is perfect beyond perfection; He leaves no detail unfinished. So, we should never assume that a companion for the first man was an afterthought. When God said that it was not good for man to be alone, it wasn’t because there was anything wrong with His brilliant creation. It was always a part of His plan to make a helper for Adam, and to do so by creating Eve from Adam. 

The inclusion of God’s statement in Genesis 2:18 is a powerful evidence of His grace, because this chapter would have been wonderfully meaningful even without it. Our Heavenly Father could have simply told us, “I made Eve as a helper for Adam.” But instead, He allows us to see that He anticipated Adam’s need and provided for it in an exceedingly abundant way. God shows us how deeply He cares about us by revealing His thought process in this verse. He sets the foundation for His institution of marriage, thereby reflecting the relationship between Christ and His church, and He also establishes the reality that He is the One who provides for us; and He does so in a way that perfectly suits our needs. 

It’s unfathomable to consider that God could top His bountiful provision that is recorded in the Old Testament, where He lavished His people with a promised land, prosperity, and His unwavering loyalty and protection. Yet, the covenant He has ushered in through the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ does more than restore what Adam lost—it surpasses it. Through Christ, believers are not just recipients of blessings; we are empowered by God’s Holy Spirit to live out the fullness of His grace.

The New Testament reveals in Philippians 4:19 (NLT): “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Every need we could ever possibly have in life is met in Christ. The completion of His mission on earth has made incredible blessings available to us. Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV) declares: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” We have access to God’s power through the indwelling Holy Spirit! Through Christ, we are complete and whole in every way.

Sadly, many believers are not walking in this wholeness, but looking for other individuals to complete them. To say that this is an unreasonable expectation is an understatement. This is a burden that no human being is equipped to bear. 

The places in our souls where darkness still lingers undermine our faith, prompting us to center our focus on people, relationships, and things, when our focus should be on our Heavenly Father and fulfilling His purpose for our lives. We can’t answer all the questions about why that darkness still hides out, but we do know this: where God’s love does not reign completely, something else will try to. Our actions speak louder than anything we claim to believe, and if we find ourselves clinging too tightly to a relationship, fearing the loss of it more than we fear being out of alignment with God, we have to ask—have we made this person an idol?

Jesus Christ commands us in Mark 12:30 (NLT): “And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” Love is a word that confuses many. We think we’ve found it, only to realize we’re tangled in something that looks more like obsession. We think we’re giving it when we’re not loving the One who is love with all that we are, as Jesus Christ commands. We crave someone’s attention, presence, and affection; yet, we’re not craving more time with God, to feast upon His presence and thoroughly embrace His love. 

1 John 4:10 (NLT) says, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” This is the love we are wired to crave, and it is the love we have received. It’s a love that never fails, never wavers, and even an eternity will not exhaust its supply. This is a love that transforms us. It heals and draws us closer to the heart of the One who created us. It’s only in God’s love that we discover what it truly means to love.

Whether it’s a partner, family member, or another loved one, we need to recognize that relationships are meant to provide an opportunity to share and reflect the love of Christ. They are not meant for us to obsess over or place above our relationship with God. They are gifts from Him, but they must never become idols—where we’re looking for our identity in people and want them to fulfill us. That’s not going to work. Only God can fill our cups. True, healthy relationships flow from a place within where we’re fully persuaded in our wholeness in Christ. It’s that place where we’re not looking to others to complete us. Instead, we’re blessed to share and grow in the love of God as we follow Christ’s example.

To love through our blessed Lord is an incredible privilege. It is also a choice, just as obsession is a choice. When we’re caught up in obsession, we’re often chasing something fleeting, something that leaves us empty. But when we’re caught up in real love—true, lasting, fulfilling love—that can only come from God, we’re filled in a way that nothing else can touch. If you think that you might be prioritizing someone above your relationship with God, don’t continue to distance yourself from Him. Seek His forgiveness. Pray for the strength to get your heart and mind right with God. True love flows from your union with Him through Christ, and if you ask, He’ll help you to put your relationship with Him first. Make a commitment to let God’s love be the foundation that strengthens and guides all your relationships, and you will have the peace and joy of knowing that you’re putting Him first in all that you do. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“When Your Relationships Become Idols”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2025. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.