Moving from Isolation to Understanding Pt 1.

well it’s been about a week and a half that i have been pondering this tiny portion of Scripture; however, i just can’t shake it out of my spirit. let me begin by saying that i haven’t liked proverbs for years and don’t really have a good reason why, except maybe i thought that its pithy axioms about life were lower on the totem pole than the depths of the narratives of Scripture. well i was wrong, big time.

Proverbs 18:1-2 says, “whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. a fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his opinion.”

when i read this verse i was blown away. i can’t remember the last time Scripture spoke to me in such a candid way. i felt like Jesus himself whispered between the rustling of the pages. like i said, i have been just chewing on this thing wondering to myself what God is communicating to me. then it hit me - a move from isolation to understanding.

now for some, this is going to sound strange coming from me, but here’s some honesty: i don’t like being around people. i know many think that i am super relational or something, but i’m not. i have “trained” myself to be relational because i believe with all my heart that relationships are the principal thing in this universe, and more importantly, in our faith.

you can imagine that as i read this passage condemning my love for isolation, i was humbled by my guilt. honestly, i haven’t been too relational for a few weeks. i’ve been ebbing and flowing, so some haven’t noticed. and then i also isolated myself during that time.

anyways, the verse starts off by saying “whoever.” this immediately caused a sigh of relief as i realized, i am not alone in this struggle. we are all susceptible to the grim power of isolation. the word “isolation” here is not merely just being by oneself, although that is encompassed in the word. it also has hints of “being reclusive or divisive.”

when i read that, i was floored. reclusive…divisive…isolated…these are volatile words with nasty ramifications. reclusivity is probably my niche due to my ability to get overly obsessed with something and will focus solely on that one thing and nonething else.

divisive was bothersome, because this moved my thinking from simply thinking isolation is about you, to realizing its chain reaction towards others. division brings separation and separation negates relationship. when i isolate myself, i seek my desire and nothing else or noone else. that doesn’t sound like Scripture’s teaching concerning us all being members of one body.

the verse continues to say that an isolationist “breaks out against all sound judgment” here “breaks out” can sometimes mean “to make bare or uncover.” at first i thought how can you both of those ideas. then i thought well if i were to challenge or break away from the covering of sound wisdom/council - or as I think in this context - the community, then i would be revealing my true self to that body i was part of. my true self which is utterly selfish.

selfishness - the very antithesis of Christ’s life and example. i have been having serious dilemma thinking about how my tendency to withdraw from others leads to a self-serving and self-pleasing life, unlike my Savior’s.

this is getting long, so i will finish tomorrow….verse 2 to come.

-peaks out.