Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 18:1

by David Chadwick

“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”

Proverbs 18:1

A man or woman who chooses isolation is selfish and does not operate in wisdom. The Bible essentially says isolation leads to foolishness. It is sometimes called today “isolation sickness.”

Think about the Covid season. We were all shoved inside. Churches and schools forced to close. Everyone was isolated. Socially distanced. Separated from community. Filled with fear at every turn.

Now think about what happened as a result of that season. People got depressed. Kids’ grades dropped. Loneliness crept in. People were tempted to watch what they shouldn’t watch. Tempted to do what they shouldn’t do. Those who were lulled by isolation became seekers of their own desires. After all, as one famous quote says, “Boredom breeds sin.”

This word “isolate” is synonymous with negative words like “detached” and “separated.” It almost implies a reclusive or divisive demeanor. When we live in isolation, we are vulnerable to resisting sound judgment, as today’s proverb says. Whereas God designed for us to live in community, isolation divides us from the body of Christ. And we were never created to live in isolation.

On the contrary, we were created by God to live in community with one another. God said, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Believers in Jesus are not to forsake the assembling together with other believers (Hebrews 10:25). In order to have the sound judgment Proverbs speaks of, we must get input from others, we must seek correction, we must pursue encouragement, and we must hunger for sound advice!

God deeply desires for us to live near one another, to learn from one another, and to sharpen one another. In fact, the Bible is full of “one another” statements that explain all of the ways that the Christian faith is intended to be lived out alongside other believers.

As the body of Christ, we were created to live together in community!

May we all seek out “togetherness.” May we seek the unity that only comes through Jesus. May we flee from isolation and, instead, pursue the desire of our Father to share our lives with other believers.