Isolation Illusion

There is nothing you can’t handle, nothing you can’t overcome, nothing you can’t get through…unless it’s just you.”
Loren Thornburg

Michael Moschen is a juggler credited for developing several ball isolations. These are illusions where the ball appears to float in space with the juggler’s hands moving around it. However, in reality the performer is supporting the prop. Appearances have a way of deceiving us. In this case the juggler creates the illusion that the ball can stand on it’s own without any source of help. We often believe that in life; that we can stand on our own, that we don’t need any help. We think it is best for us to isolate ourselves for many reasons. We all have them…either we don’t want to believe that we can’t do it alone, we fear letting others see our struggle, we believe we will be a burden to other people, or the many other reasons we come up with to justify not asking for help. With every reason we are being deceived. There is no freedom found in isolation. The only way out is to reach out.

"One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment." - Proverbs 18:1 (Holman CSB)

Isolation…selfish? It sounds so absurd to say that isolation is selfish. Usually we think we are doing others a favor by isolating ourselves when we are having a hard time. Either because we think we are sparing them from our bad mood, or fear letting them see us struggle, or that they are too busy or too burdened. It all sounds like sound judgment to us when we are the one having the hard time, yet we don’t feel like that about other people when they are having a hard time. And by that I can see the hand of the enemy; that is when something is only true for me and not for others. The enemy wants us to be isolated…away from the light and the truth that fellowship brings. If we stay isolated we keep the body from its fullness. For then the body is one less and those of the body can’t use the gifts they have been given to help us. So it goes both ways. We miss out and they miss out. We need others and others need us! Whatever sound judgment you think you are pursuing, if it includes isolation it’s all an illusion and a selfish one at that. Don’t miss out so others won’t miss out!