The enemy wants nothing more than for us, the image bearers of God, to be destroyed. Let's not sugar-coat his intentions. Jesus didn't. Jesus told us that the plan of the devil is "to kill, steal and destroy" (John 10:10). Yet, in his craftiness he never makes this his blatant attack. He always comes through the back door - the place where we least suspect anyone to enter - and, therefore, we are unprepared. His great design is to induce, incite and tempt us to isolation.
Isolation is not the times we desire and need to be alone. Isolation is a lifestyle or being alone. It is the belief that being alone is best and it is the settled resolve that this is how God made me. The truth of the matter is that God made us like Himself and He is a God of community. He abides in relationship with as Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To be in the image of God means to be made for and therefore in need of community to be like Him. But note this: to be like Him is the essence of what it means to be truly human and, therefore, to be truly human is to be in community. Isolation is not and never has been the deigned and intention of God.
Isolation happened when men ran from God and then, because of that breakdown in community with God, men ran from one another. The sin is not so much in the running from one-another but the belief that running (being isolated) is justifiable in any way. The devil incited that sin that led to separation from God and he is still inciting sin that breaks down communities, families, churches and countries.
But why? Why does the enemy work so hard to make us feel like we do not need one-another?
The answer is that he knows that,
relationships represent the power of heaven to shape us into Christ-like people and they serve as constant reminders of God restoring, redeeming and transforming grace.
when we are connected in relationship we are stronger because we are nurtured in gospel centered ways and become aware of his schemes.
the gospel reminds us, not only of our need for one-another, but it also reminds us that in Christ we are loved, even while broken and that in Christ, our brokenness can be healed.
In isolation we are left to ourselves and our own rationalizations. We are subject to our own assessment of things - including our hearts - and are dependent on ourselves to always be able to strengthen, enliven and inspire hope against the internal and external troubles that overwhelm us. But if God has made me for community this means that I am not enough for myself, by myself. Not only do I not know all that I need to know to help myself, I do not, truly, know myself!
What makes marriage difficult, for example, is the fact of what marriage exposes in us. If we are honest, what gets us frustrated most in marriage is the constant mirror it holds out to us. At times, we find that mirror to reflect honorable and good things about us. At other times the mirror betrays our self-worth and self-sufficiency showing us that we are still works in progress, in need of moment-by-moment mercy and grace. When the devil convinces us that being alone is best he is packaging isolation as a gift to be desired. Thus, the feeling that being alone is better is, in truth, the devil's kryptonite. He is putting the knife in our backs. He loudly promises us contentment in isolation, but he is quietly killing us when we are disconnected.
Relationships are such the idea of God that, when man ran and isolated himself from the Lord in the garden, God pursued him. If relationships were not the design and intent of God He would have let us run back into the bushes of our shame and never thought a second about us again. Yet, He has so hated isolation and loved relationship that He descended from heaven to get those who the devil deceived and tricked into isolation by sin. So, what does the devil do now? God has come to retrieve His people and since the devil cannot contend with the Lord he turns to his old tricks of isolation. Paul says,
Let me ask this question: If relationships are not important why are the whole of the devil's schemes centered on isolation and separation?
Thank you Pastor, truly insightful and thought provoking.