April 7, 2021

“One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound wisdom.” – Proverbs 18:1

I am a claustrophobic extrovert. If you put me in a confined space all by myself for very long I will go insane! So, you can imagine how hard the quarantine days of 2020 were for me. I needed to leave my house and I needed to see people. As restriction ease, so does my anxiety. Now I am just excited to get rid of masks and see smiles again! However, those of us who are extroverts (and maybe claustrophobic) learned the importance of being alone. We learned the importance of time in quiet reflection. There are things you can only learn about yourself when you spend time by yourself.

With that being said, I am seeing something very unhealthy in certain brothers and sisters now that things are opening up and interactions are more common again. Those who prefer to be alone have realized how easy it is to function in isolation. Those who have anxiety in social settings have been able to do away with those settings all together. So now, even though interactions with others are possible again, many individuals have continued to choose isolation. Scripture tells us this is unwise and selfish. In fact, in many ways this is the definition of selfishness – “concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself.” Choosing isolation is unwise for your own health and it robs everyone else of the blessing that is you! So those of you who have chosen to isolate yourselves, heed this warning; your actions are unwise and selfish. And for all the others, make sure you seek out the ones who are isolated and let them know how much they mean to you and how much you need them in your life.

Heavenly and Loving Father over our whole family of believers, put a desire in the heart of every one of Your children to join one another in fellowship. We need each other. Help us to know that truth and live it out every day.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon