1 00:00:02,650 --> 00:00:13,430 Speaker 1: Life Audio Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,470 --> 00:00:16,550 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is about the 3 00:00:16,630 --> 00:00:20,140 Speaker 1: danger of isolation and how to keep ourselves from falling 4 00:00:20,210 --> 00:00:24,079 Speaker 1: into that snare. We'll return with the devotional after a 5 00:00:24,140 --> 00:00:40,900 Speaker 1: brief message from our sponsors. The Danger of Isolation, written 6 00:00:41,060 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: and read by Cindy McMenamin, Crosswalk Contributing Writer. Whoever isolates 7 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 1: himself seeks his own desire. He breaks out against all 8 00:00:50,659 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: sound judgment. Proverbs 18.1, English Standard Version. It was quite 9 00:00:57,220 --> 00:00:59,660 Speaker 1: the thing to do to isolate from one another during 10 00:00:59,700 --> 00:01:03,260 Speaker 1: that horrendous year of 2020. We sheltered in place to 11 00:01:03,300 --> 00:01:06,470 Speaker 1: keep ourselves safe. We kept ourselves away from others to 12 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:11,250 Speaker 1: obey governmental authorities. We isolated because, for a time, we 13 00:01:11,290 --> 00:01:14,910 Speaker 1: couldn't do anything else. But during that time, we developed 14 00:01:14,970 --> 00:01:18,260 Speaker 1: some isolation habits that are likely still holding on to 15 00:01:18,340 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 1: us today. When difficulties arise or when you get hurt 16 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 1: by another person, or you become very busy and focused 17 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: on something and don't want to be interrupted, it can 18 00:01:28,459 --> 00:01:32,830 Speaker 1: be natural now to withdraw and shut others out. The 19 00:01:32,860 --> 00:01:37,259 Speaker 1: wise King Solomon told us in Proverbs 18.1, that isolating 20 00:01:37,380 --> 00:01:41,580 Speaker 1: is not exercising sound judgment. And in the New American 21 00:01:41,620 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: Standard Bible, we're told it quarrels against all sound wisdom. 22 00:01:46,500 --> 00:01:49,490 Speaker 1: Look at that verse alongside Solomon's words in Proverbs 27, 17, 23 00:01:49,490 --> 00:01:51,010 Speaker 1: which tells us, Scripture is telling us it's not only 24 00:01:51,090 --> 00:02:05,060 Speaker 1: unwise to isolate oneself, it's dangerous. Isolation or withdrawing from 25 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: others pulls us away from the body of Christ where 26 00:02:08,090 --> 00:02:11,190 Speaker 1: we can be encouraged by other believers, and it leaves 27 00:02:11,290 --> 00:02:14,790 Speaker 1: us far more vulnerable to the attacks of Satan, who 28 00:02:14,870 --> 00:02:18,310 Speaker 1: often seeks to first isolate us from other believers and 29 00:02:18,350 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: then accuse us and discourage us further. Until recently, I 30 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: didn't realize how quickly isolating tendencies can become a habit. 31 00:02:28,020 --> 00:02:30,660 Speaker 1: I had been pretty independent over the past couple years 32 00:02:30,740 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: as my schedule got busier and and my phone and 33 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: Zoom coaching increased. I was spending less time face-to-face with 34 00:02:37,340 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: my friends and more time in front of screens getting 35 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,870 Speaker 1: my work done or meeting remotely with clients. I was 36 00:02:43,889 --> 00:02:46,970 Speaker 1: spending less time in my favorite booth at Chick-fil-A listening 37 00:02:47,030 --> 00:02:50,130 Speaker 1: to others share what's on their hearts and more time 38 00:02:50,210 --> 00:02:55,070 Speaker 1: cultivating my spiritual life apart from the accountability and encouragement 39 00:02:55,130 --> 00:02:58,380 Speaker 1: from others. And then I went through a health scare, 40 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:00,900 Speaker 1: followed by the news that my mother had less than 41 00:03:01,020 --> 00:03:05,609 Speaker 1: six months to live. Going through those difficulties can make 42 00:03:05,730 --> 00:03:08,590 Speaker 1: anyone start wondering, who do I call if I suddenly 43 00:03:08,630 --> 00:03:11,410 Speaker 1: need a ride to the hospital or my husband isn't available? 44 00:03:12,270 --> 00:03:14,470 Speaker 1: Or who is in my life who can help me 45 00:03:14,530 --> 00:03:17,290 Speaker 1: through this struggle and keep me trusting in my Lord 46 00:03:17,430 --> 00:03:21,870 Speaker 1: regardless of my circumstances? You and I weren't meant to 47 00:03:21,910 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: go through life alone. So when you start feeling lonely 48 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,020 Speaker 1: or the temptation to isolate from others, it's an inner 49 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,870 Speaker 1: alarm that something is off. And it could be You 50 00:03:32,930 --> 00:03:36,570 Speaker 1: aren't cultivating enough friendships in your life. You have some 51 00:03:36,710 --> 00:03:39,790 Speaker 1: unresolved hurts that are keeping you from opening up with others. 52 00:03:40,510 --> 00:03:44,030 Speaker 1: You're unknowingly turning people away and living as a loner. 53 00:03:44,730 --> 00:03:48,790 Speaker 1: You've been prioritizing productivity over people. This is for the 54 00:03:48,830 --> 00:03:51,970 Speaker 1: busy person who's lonely and doesn't know it and need 55 00:03:51,990 --> 00:03:55,550 Speaker 1: to find a healthy balance. It could also mean you 56 00:03:55,590 --> 00:03:58,210 Speaker 1: are further from God than you should be, perhaps not 57 00:03:58,270 --> 00:04:02,010 Speaker 1: communing with him daily, or you've been depending solely on 58 00:04:02,070 --> 00:04:08,050 Speaker 1: God at the expense of no longer being among other believers. 59 00:04:10,110 --> 00:04:13,450 Speaker 1: God didn't intend for us to live in isolation. He 60 00:04:13,510 --> 00:04:16,530 Speaker 1: created us to live in community. When you are among 61 00:04:16,610 --> 00:04:19,270 Speaker 1: other believers who can encourage you and hold you up, 62 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,900 Speaker 1: you can continue to grow spiritually as well as emotionally. 63 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:25,820 Speaker 1: Although God wants to draw us close to His heart 64 00:04:25,860 --> 00:04:29,460 Speaker 1: through our struggles, we can grow spiritually through a healthy 65 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,700 Speaker 1: balance that of alone time with God and time with 66 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:37,140 Speaker 1: other believers in their physical presence. God created us for 67 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: a relationship with Him and with others who can help 68 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,940 Speaker 1: us grow, help us experience Him, and help us see 69 00:04:43,980 --> 00:04:47,580 Speaker 1: Him in ways we couldn't otherwise. In a recent phone 70 00:04:47,620 --> 00:04:50,480 Speaker 1: conversation with my dad, in which he told me about 71 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: a few opportunities he had to listen to hurting people, 72 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,140 Speaker 1: I thanked him for being Jesus to the people he 73 00:04:56,230 --> 00:04:59,770 Speaker 1: interacts with every day. Dad was touched by those words. 74 00:05:00,230 --> 00:05:02,190 Speaker 1: I realized after I got off the phone that he 75 00:05:02,230 --> 00:05:05,430 Speaker 1: called that day to encourage me, but I was able 76 00:05:05,470 --> 00:05:09,050 Speaker 1: to encourage him too. That's how it works in a family, 77 00:05:09,410 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: especially in the family of God. God wants believers sharpening 78 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: one another, supporting one another, helping one another, and encouraging 79 00:05:19,220 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: one another all the more as you see the day 80 00:05:21,580 --> 00:05:27,510 Speaker 1: drawing near. Hebrews 10.25 If you aren't experiencing spiritual encouragement 81 00:05:27,570 --> 00:05:30,950 Speaker 1: and support from your natural family, it is waiting for 82 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,580 Speaker 1: you in your spiritual family, in the church, what scripture 83 00:05:34,620 --> 00:05:38,540 Speaker 1: calls the body or the human hands and feet of Jesus. 84 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,580 Speaker 1: And if no one is being Jesus to you, start 85 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:45,380 Speaker 1: being Jesus for someone else. That's often when you begin 86 00:05:45,420 --> 00:05:49,330 Speaker 1: to feel less isolated and more connected with one another. 87 00:05:50,710 --> 00:05:54,589 Speaker 1: For further study, see ecclesiastes4. org. 88 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:54,510 Speaker 2: 9-12. 89 00:05:55,420 --> 00:05:58,110 Speaker 1: For more on growing closer to God and others, see 90 00:05:58,150 --> 00:06:02,170 Speaker 1: my books, The New Loneliness, Nurturing Meaningful Connections When You 91 00:06:02,210 --> 00:06:06,669 Speaker 1: Feel Isolated, and The New Loneliness Devotional, 50 Days to 92 00:06:06,710 --> 00:06:08,590 Speaker 1: a Closer Connection with God. 93 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:15,860 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 94 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 2: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 95 00:06:18,020 --> 00:06:21,979 Speaker 2: about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. 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