The Dangers of Isolation
June 1, 2008
Scripture:
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 - “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor, for if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Synopsis:
America and the rest of the world have moved from being an information society to an isolation society. We now do most of our communicating by computer online or by text message over our cell phones. As a result we have lost the value and benefit of intimate face to face, person to person relational communication. This trend is destroying the fabric of our society one relationship at a time, leaving each of us isolated, lonely and vulnerable to the deception and manipulation of the enemy.
In Genesis chapter 2, verse 18, God says, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” With this declaration God made it clear that none of us were ever meant to be alone. We are spirit beings living the human experience, the central purpose of which is to build relationships with each other and thereby correctly portray and put on display the eternal relationship with our creator. We were built and designed by God for relational communication and not isolation. People who stay isolated too long are self-destructive and delusional with no one to help them up or pull them out.
To be isolated is to be set apart from others, to be separated from those you want to be with. Some isolate themselves out of guilt or shame, while some are sent into isolation by the opinions and criticism of others. Still others voluntarily go into isolation to hear from God, as Jesus did when he went into the wilderness for 40 days and nights. Whatever the circumstances, we all go through seasons of isolation and some isolation is beneficial. It’s getting stuck in isolation that’s very dangerous.
