Beware the Dangers of Isolation

July 31, 2008

by Maria Simone

I recently read a newspaper article that shook me to the core. It reported the story of horrible abuse by a mother toward her 6 adopted children, which went completely unnoticed until the youngest, a 4 year old boy, was found dead at her hands. What struck me about this family’s situation was how isolated they were from the rest of society – they lived in a farm house many miles from town, the mother home schooled her children (please don’t take this the wrong way all you home schoolers out there), and they attended a very small church (about 20 people), where the pastor taught them to avoid all contact with the world, and to abuse their children in order to get them to behave.

Would this situation have continued, or even escalated to the point that it did, if this family were more connected to other people? Isolation is one of the major tools Satan uses to keep people in deception, and it is in direct contrast to what God tells us to do. Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10, 12 (Message) says “It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, but if there is no one to help, tough!.…By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst.” The enemy wants to get us alone so he can have our undivided attention, with no one to show us the truth. Sometimes it takes a friend to wake us up and stop us from going down a dangerous road.

The Lord clearly warns us in Hebrews 10:25 (NLT), “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” There are countless examples in the Bible where God tells us to encourage, comfort and pray for each other. And Jesus said “Go forth and make disciples of all the nations”. All of these commands require venturing out of ourselves and reaching out to others. God made us for relationship, not isolation. So next time you’re struggling with something, don’t let fear keep you from reaching out for help. Remember, “By yourself, you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst.”

Posted by admin | Filed Under Relationships 

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