Q:
My uncle (who's just retired from a job that brought him into contact with lots of people) says he's tired of dealing with people and he's going to spend the rest of his life breeding dogs because they don't cheat you or criticize you. I understand what he's saying, but doesn't he have things a bit out of balance?
A:
If your uncle actually follows through on his plans, then yes — he could end up with his life out of balance. Completely avoiding people may seem like a perfect way to deal with stress — but in reality it creates its own problems.
Why is this? One reason is because God put within each of us a need for companionship. We aren’t meant to be solitary individuals, isolated from everyone else and interested only in ourselves. We need each other! Shortly after God created Adam He declared, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). The writer of Ecclesiastes echoed the same thought: “Two are better than one. … pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).
Does this mean it’s wrong for your uncle to step back and enjoy some peace and quiet for a change? No, not necessarily. But I hope you’ll encourage him not to isolate himself, but to seek ways to help others and pass along the wisdom he’s gained over the years.
But the most important thing you can do is urge your uncle to discover the greatest relationship anyone can ever know — and that is a relationship with God. God loves him; He loves him so much that His Son was willing to give His life for him. Pray for your uncle, that he may experience God’s peace every day by giving his life to Jesus Christ.