Break Out!

We all did it together, yet we all did it alone. Quarantining measures for the COVID-19 pandemic had us hunkered down in our homes, hiding our faces with masks, and limiting our physical interactions with others through social distancing—on the rare occasion we were allowed to venture out in public.

While the situation has been far from ideal, it did have one positive side effect: It allowed us to realize the importance of physical interactions with others. Such fellowship is crucial for our overall well-being.

In fact, scientists have found that prolonged periods of isolation can lead to serious physiological and emotional problems. A 2018 article in The Lancet journal described how isolation leads to people feeling “irritable, depressed and self-centered, and is associated with a 26% increase in the risk of premature mortality.”

Notice being alone can make us self-centered. While science has just recently discovered this, the Bible recorded this fact millennia ago. Proverbs 18 states, “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment” (vs. 1, NKJV).

God knows that we can become depressed and self-centered when alone. When we are not around others, we are more prone to focus on our own thoughts and problems. In short order, we begin looking more inward rather than “on the things of others” (Phil. 2:4).

While this certainly applies to physical isolation, an even greater danger is spiritual isolation—when we begin to draw back from our relationships with our fellow Christians and God. Even when you are surrounded by brethren you can set yourself apart spiritually. Examining Proverbs 18:1 further can help us better understand what leads to this condition and how to avoid it.

End Result

Anyone who has been a member of God’s Church for a few years has experienced a close friend or acquaintance abandoning the truth. Whenever this occurs, we can think, How did this happen? Did I miss any warning signs? What are they doing?!

Even more worrisome can be, Could I fall into such thinking?

Of course, none of us want to fall prey to spiritual isolation! To ensure you never get to that point requires understanding the process. And it is a process—it takes time.

What starts small has an end result, which can be found in the second half of Proverbs 18:1. Read the whole verse again: “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment.”

While those who leave are occasionally hostile and can become enraged when a minister tries to counsel them, the word “rages” can also mean to “quarrel.” No matter how wise the advice given to someone in this isolated condition, they will ignore it—and even fight against it!

Throughout the years, despite the efforts of faithful ministers, such individuals will not listen to reason. If they do come back to God’s truth—many do not!—it is almost always after they left, came to their senses, and realized they had made a terrible mistake.

How does someone get to the point of raging “against all wise judgment”?

The Start

Again, isolation makes us self-centered. Yet it works the other way as well—our selfish desires can lead us to isolate ourselves. Recall Proverbs 18:1 says a “man who isolates himself seeks his own desire.”

God used the apostle James to record: “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed [entrapped]. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death” (1:14-15).

Of course, death is not immediate in these instances. This is the deception. A person can dip his toe into the waters of sin, see no immediate consequences, and wade further into the deep end.

This could be as simple as wanting a little more time to ourselves, skipping fellowship at services or socials—or pulling back from serving, falling into the wrong mindset that we have “served enough” and it is now someone else’s turn.

Our selfish desires drive us to isolate ourselves. Then we give into those desires more and more because we are isolated. It is a terrible vicious cycle!

Yet even those who visibly serve and fellowship within a congregation can fall prey to this thinking. They can start to view their own ideas and feelings as higher than others, leaving them more susceptible to offense and doctrinal disagreements. James 4 explains how an elevated view of ourselves leads to contentions and separations among us.

If you have been in God’s Way for any length of time, just think of the different reasons you have personally heard others give when they forsake their calling. Now put yourself in a similar situation and ask yourself these hard questions: What are my temptations? My weaknesses?

You need to know what they are because Satan certainly does!

Never forget that the devil is “a roaring lion…seeking whom he may devour” (I Pet. 5:8). He is constantly on the lookout for opportunities to separate us from the herd.

Why does Satan try to isolate us? One reason is that it is incredibly effective. Another is that it is the fate he will soon face—he wants others to suffer like he will.

During the annual Holy Day of Atonement, we fast to picture a time when the world will be “at one” with God. Yet this day also pictures a time when Satan will be isolated from the Earth—no longer able to influence mankind as “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2).

In ancient Israel, there were two goats selected on Atonement, outlined in Leviticus 16. One represented Christ as the Savior of mankind, the other—the scapegoat or the Hebrew azazel goat (meaning the goat of departure)—was “sent away into the wilderness.” This pictures a time soon when Satan and his demons will be cast off the Earth.

During this awesome time, God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh and work with them to overcome their nature free of Satan’s manipulation.

Yet this time has not come, and we must resist the pulls of our own flesh and the wiles of the devil!

Self-isolation

While pulling back from physical fellowship is a sign that a person has begun to isolate themselves, an even greater threat is isolating oneself from God!

This starts with what are perceived as “small” sins. People fool themselves into believing that “no one else was there to see it, so it wasn’t that big of a deal” and they find a way to justify their actions.

Yet these sins, unrepented of, limit how God can work with a person. Notice: “Behold, the lord’ s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear” (Isa. 59:1-2).

God is ready and willing to forgive us and grant us repentance. But if we do not go before Him with a contrite attitude, those sins separate us from Him. The ultimate spiritual isolation!

If a bad behavior becomes habitual and unrepented of, it will lead to other sins. A person who does not care to change their actions can quickly return to being a “servant of sin” (John 8:34). He or she begins to “grieve” and “quench” God’s Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30; I Thes. 5:19) to the point where they no longer strive to qualify for eternal life.

Hebrews 10:26-27 outlines the dangers of willful sin, “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”

This is exactly what the devil wants us to do, and he uses isolation to lead us there!

Anyone can fall prey to this process, and we must diligently examine our lives and motivations to ensure we do not come to the point that we are no longer receptive to God’s guidance.

Fight the Good Fight

If you notice some signs of self-isolation in your life, do not despair! God promises His people “that He will never leave us or forsake us” (Heb. 13:5; Deut. 31:6).

No matter if we have fallen into sin or simply been too lackadaisical in our approach, we should never cease seeking forgiveness and striving to repent! Remember “a just man falls seven times, and rises up again…” (Prov. 24:16). As long as we do not cut ourselves off from God, He will never cut Himself off from us.

To combat isolationist thinking, regularly remind yourself that both the Father and Jesus Christ live in each Christian through the Spirit. This same Spirit gets amplified and more abundantly present when we are with other true Christians.

Remember that, when we fellowship with God’s people, “truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (I John 1:3). Through our time together, we have a chance to bond with each other and both members of the Godhead directly.

When times get tough, fellowship in all its forms is critical to remain firmly in God’s Way. Especially helpful are deep, heart-to-heart conversations with those of like mind.

Wise King Solomon confirmed this in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. He wrote: “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he has not another to help him up…And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Brethren being closely knit together is essential. We help pick each other up when we fall, we can help each other withstand trials and temptations, and when there are more of us it is harder to knock anyone of us down. Truly, a “brother is born for adversity” in God’s Church (Prov. 17:17).

Our closest friends in God’s Way help strengthen us by being a sounding board for our innermost thoughts and feelings: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Prov. 27:6). If something in our thinking is off-base or out of line, a true friend will not be afraid to tell us.

When we fellowship together at a deep level with other Christians, we are directly counteracting the emotional, irrational thinking that human nature feeds. The Spirit of power, love and a sound mind (II Tim. 1:7) is at work helping us to overcome irrational thoughts and self-centered thinking. This automatically leads to better decision-making. No wonder God says in Proverbs that through a multitude of counsel right “purposes are established” (15:22) and “safety” exists (11:14).

The Goal

Take time to examine yourself to see if you have started to fall victim to Satan’s go-to device of separating individuals from the herd. If you are feeling depressed, anxious or irritated, reach out to one of your fellow brethren for deep and meaningful fellowship. If you are struggling to overcome any sin, counsel with your local minister. Do not feel embarrassed—he can help you put the situation into perspective and create a plan of attack to get back on track. Remember that “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23), and we have a Savior that was “in all points tempted like as we are” (Heb. 4:15).

In all things, be determined not to let the devil get what he wants—to get us alone where he can destroy us.

Never underestimate the power of fellowship with brethren. It is the glue that holds us together. If you find yourself pulling back from spending time with others, examine your life to find out why. Make sure to capitalize on every opportunity to spend time with your fellow Christians. At first, you may not humanly want to—but make yourself do it. After a little time of “forcing” yourself to fellowship, you will soon not want to stop!

In addition, never forget God’s awesome plan for mankind and your part in it. Soon, Satan will be isolated from the Earth. At that time, man will finally be “at one” with his Creator. No one will feel alone or left out. Until then, however, let’s all be at one with our brothers and sisters in Christ—and our Father God!