Isolation

Proverbs 18:1

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
he breaks out against all sound judgment.

The thought here is not that it is wrong to seek solitude or even to work alone. Rather, it speaks to the person who has fortressed himself against companionship. He may be like the hurt lover of Paul Simon's song "I Am a Rock," who isolates himself from relationships so that he might not be hurt again. He may be the disenchanted idealist who gives up his dreams and loses respect for his neighbors. Or he may be the epitome of the American hero - the person who "goes it alone," who lives for himself.

Whatever may be the motivation, to isolate oneself either physically or emotionally goes against the way God made us, which is to be communal creatures. We are made to desire companionship. Our dreams are meant to be shared with others. This is especially true for us as Christians, who when we come to faith in Christ are made members of his one body. To isolate ourselves from one another is like the eye wanting to isolate itself from the head or the hand from the arm.

Whatever experiences you may have had that would lead you to isolate yourself from the body of Christ, know that the true help for you is not isolation, but connection. The hope for us all in living productive lives for the Lord is to be attached to him through his people.