Isolation: It's Demonic

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment (Prov. 18.1).

I said in yesterday's blog post that isolation is demonic.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm not talking about occasional solitude which, in our crazy world, would do the soul good.  I'm talking about the kind of isolation that happens when we get to thinking that (a) we don't need others or (b) we don't want others.

In my experience, not needing others comes from failing (or being failed) so many times that my pride prevents the pain.

Not wanting others comes when we know we're in the wrong but we don't want to be confronted about it.

Both are Satanic.  Demonic.  Bad.  Evil.  Wrong.

Those who isolate themselves don't think straight - they "break out against all sound judgment" because they don't have the kind of interaction that helps remind us of Reality.  It leaves us to "seek our own desire" and keep running down a path of destruction.

And it spirals.  Destruction breeds pain and probably shame.  Pain/Shame breeds hiding.  Hiding breeds more isolation.  Isolation breeds destruction.  And on the spiral goes, down and down and down until the brutal conclusion of a life in shambles.

Not exactly a happy thought.  But we should be warned by the wisdom of the Proverbs.  

One last parting shot:  just because you're connected to people (via technology for instance) doesn't mean you're connected to them.  Isolation is a relational dynamic, not an accessibility issue.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...