My husband, Kevin, recently sat with a friend as he was taken off life support. Kevin was there as his friend made the transition from this life to the next. This man had been over to our house many times and we had shared many meals together. Up until several months ago, this man was an unbeliever. Kevin deeply desired for his friend to know the freedom and peace of trusting in the Lord. The two of them had several conversations about spiritual matters over the years.

Then, one weekend when Kevin was out of town, his friend went to church and gave his life to the Lord. Kevin was, of course, very excited to hear the news, but at the same time he was disappointed to the point he was almost tormented that he didn’t get to be a part of the moment. He felt he had missed out. In fact, it appeared as if God purposely took Kevin out of the equation so that there would be no possible way for him to be involved in that moment. This was something Kevin and I both found somewhat humorous.

Kevin didn’t want to miss supporting his friend as he faced death. When Kevin came home from the hospital that day, he relayed and processed the experience. There was one aspect that surprised him: the number of fellow believers that came to be by his side. Kevin had no idea that his friend had such a network of support. He had many people speaking into his life for years. Kevin was not the only one.

Many of us put a great deal of pressure on ourselves because we believe “it’s all up to me”. Perhaps it is the salvation of a loved one, the completion of a goal, or instructing or guiding someone. Our shoulders are not big enough to carry that kind of weight. We need to step back and pull God into the picture. The Holy Spirit is working. God uses people – teams, to accomplish His work. God Himself is a team!

When we allow ourselves to think “it’s all up to me,” we buy into the lie of isolation. We can become isolated in God’s work and we can also become isolated in our lives. The English word isolate comes from the Latin word meaning island. The feeling of isolation is like being stranded on a deserted island. It’s a dangerous situation.

Satan wants us to be isolated, removed from community. He gains a foothold when we believe we are the only one dealing with certain circumstances, problems, and feelings. Once he corners us in a place all by ourselves, he spews more lies which deepens our discouragement. Satan leads us into lonely places of desperation, depression, shame, and anxiety. He reinforces the lies that convince us we are alone in our problems and that there is no hope, no one who understands. This is how he works. He isolates and destroys.

Buying into the lie of isolation only perpetuates more lies. A person then is pushed into a fake life, pretending that everything is okay, even though it isn’t. It leads to closing oneself off from others. It keeps one from feeling loved and accepted. This fuels a downward cycle into the lies and leads to greater separation from community.

The reality is, the more open we are with each other, the more we will realize we’re in the same boat. You are not the only one struggling. Everyone is struggling! We are connected in our struggles. Talk about what you’re dealing with. A weight is lifted when one finds out that they’re not alone. It brings a great sense of relief and freedom. This encourages an upward cycle into further truth and deeper community.

You are not an island. You are not to be isolated in ministry or in life. Be intentional about living in genuine community with other believers. God created us to be the body of Christ, supporting and building up one another. Reach out to someone this week and have a genuine conversation. Share ministry. Share life.

Scriptures to help in avoiding isolation:
1 Kings 19:9-18
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Genesis 2:15-25
Hebrews 10:19-25
1 Corinthians 3:4-9