Friday Fight 178: “I feel isolated because _________”
Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF178.
When we think about the word isolation, we may have several thoughts. I will jokingly tell my students that I wish someone would send me to my room so I can read a book, but isolation should never be taken lightly. How do we cure isolation, including the spirals in our minds that plague us? Let's look at some examples of isolation and see how we can apply our knowledge and the wisdom God provides, to help grow our spiritual character.
“I feel isolated because _________”
The word isolation is the opposite of most posts we share. Instead, we talk about community, loving people, putting others before ourselves, or a willingness to do what God asks of us. Isolation is not a day at the spa or an empty house for an afternoon; it is the action of being isolated from something or someone. When my daughter had RSV as a baby, she was placed in isolation for medical reasons. There are other reasons for physical isolation, such as being in a long-distance relationship or living in a remote area, but what about isolation in our minds? This could be feeling disconnected from our loved ones, feeling misunderstood, or feeling like we do not belong.
A pastor friend of mine uses the phrase 'Isolation is termination' in his men's alliance group. Unpacking this phrase’s emotional meaning suggests that when we isolate ourselves, we are cutting off the potential for growth, connection, and understanding. We may not be physically isolated like my daughter was, but we can feel isolated in our thoughts, and this leads to a termination of our emotional and spiritual well-being.
Contributors to feeling alone could result from many things like hiding our sins, allowing past choices to define us, physical or emotional flaws we believe we carry alone, or being spiritually trapped. With each of these contributors, we are dealing with unmet expectations we have placed upon ourselves. For example, we should repent if we feel isolated due to our past sins. Repentance is not just about feeling sorry for our sins, but it's a transformative process that involves acknowledging our wrongdoings, seeking forgiveness, and committing to change.
The cure to isolation is an experience with God. Proverbs 18:1 says, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” When we are isolated, we harden our hearts to wisdom and correction. With a repentant heart, we can leave things at the feet of Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to repair our wounds. This transformative power of repentance gives us hope and inspiration as we can look at why we feel alone, knowing each contributor is a controlling factor that results in pain and potential isolation.
When we examine areas of our lives that dictate an isolated mindset, let's remember the importance of coming to God with a repentant heart and experiencing the joy of being transformed. We can try to place blame and attempt to start over, but this is not the same as recognizing our sins and asking God to remove the scars they left on our souls.
Pastor Shannon
New Life River Church