Why I Need to Walk With Others

In Genesis 2:18 it says, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” (NIV)

The Bible often compares life to a walk—because life is a journey. We don’t sit still! Throughout the New Testament, we are told to walk in wisdom, love, light, and obedience. We’re told to walk as Jesus walked.

We’re also told to walk alongside other people through life. Here are three reasons I need to walk with others:

It’s safer. If I walk alone at night through a dark alley or down a lonely country road, It’s a little scary. But if I have another person with me, I feel safer. 

It’s supportive. Life is not a 50-yard dash. It’s a marathon. Walking with others gives me the energy and encouragement I need to keep going until the end.

It’s smarter. I learn more by walking with others than by walking alone. If I’m walking alone in the wrong direction, I may never realize it. But if I have a friend beside me, one of us is likely to recognize that I’ve veered off the path and need to find the right direction. 

There are some other important lessons I learn when I walk with others. I learn how to get along and cooperate. I can also learn how to love. Genesis 2:18 says, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (NIV). God hates when I’m lonely, and community is God’s answer to loneliness. When I walk with others, I’ll find a community where I learn how to love more like Jesus. 

Walking alongside others also teaches hospitality. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:9, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (NIV). So what’s my grumble? What’s my excuse for not opening my home to friends? 

Maybe I’ve thought, “My home is dirty!” The truth is that my friends are more interested in spending time with me than they are my housekeeping skills—and they show grace. 

Or perhaps your excuse is, “My home isn’t big enough.” Can I put three people in it? Jesus says, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20 NIV).

Everybody has a longing for belonging because God made us for relationships. When I walk alongside other Christians, in community, I’ll find that longing satisfied.