By Rae Lynn DeAngelis

My how everyday life has changed!

Years ago if you needed a new pair of shoes, you called a friend and headed to the nearest shopping mall. If you needed to deposit or withdrawal money, you hopped in your car, stood in line at the bank, and waited for the next available teller. Higher education required hours logged in a student-filled classroom on an actual college campus.

Today, via Internet, we can take a virtual tour of our favorite store and pay bills without ever leaving the house. We can even get a diploma online.  In fact, just about everything we could want or need is available through the click of a computer mouse.

I understand that all of these so-called “conveniences” are supposed to free-up time and make life simpler and more efficient, but at what cost?

And while we’re on the subject, has life really become more simplified? Do we really have more free time? Recent studies say otherwise.  Our lives are busier and more stressful than ever before.

Our hectic and stress-filled schedules are not the only problem. Many report a nagging sense of loneliness.

Is it any wonder?

Convenience options, originally designed to make life easier, oftentimes remove human interaction from the equation. We pay at the pump, order online, and communicate by text message. In the face of advanced technology, our human connection is restricted. We no longer have an opportunity to smile, say hello, and ask how someone is doing. When we do, we rarely stop long enough to hear the person’s reply.

God created us in His image, in His likeness (Genesis 1:28), and part of our likeness to God is our desire for relationship. I believe this is one of the reasons God created man—to satisfy his own desire for fellowship.

“The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18)

Our basic need for companionship and human touch has been wired into our DNA. Children who are raised in orphanages with limited human touch and stimulation are much more likely to develop a serious, and sometimes life-threatening, condition called “failure to thrive”. In essence they lose their will to live.

Adults might be able to survive in a bustling metropolis for weeks on end without any human interaction, but we would be doing just that—surviving—not living. Before long, depression and despair would set in.

We must be mindful of our own basic need for connection. I’m not suggesting that all loneliness is a consequence of our trend towards convenience, but is it possible that it plays a role?

In light of my own awakening concerning solitude (whenever possible) I’m going to forgo my natural tendency to seek convenience and comfort so that I can nurture my God given need to interact with others, face to face and heart to heart.