Because Isolation is Selfish

Tuesday, July 10, 2012 Posted by Unknown

I am an introvert.

I’m an only child, I prefer to be alone, I’m not a social butterfly, I’m rarely “working the crowd” and when it comes to most social situations, I’d rather avoid them.

“Alone” is essentially my default, but when it comes to fellowshipping with others, I’ve learned to push myself out of isolation.

And, when I say I have to push myself, I mean it. For years, shame and a thick, relationship-killing fear kept me from pursuing fellowship and making it a priority. I figured it was okay—just part of who I was, until I read these words:

A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.

They jumped off the pages of Proverbs (chapter 18, verse 1, to be exact) and slapped me right in the face. I read and re-read and eventually heard myself saying, “A man who isolates himself is a selfish fool.” I went over that in my head a number of times until it hit me—I was that (wo)man and I was that selfish fool!

I’d been lying to myself about my tendency to draw inward. I couldn’t keep making excuses for it and I couldn’t continue to settle on that as a way of living. So, I worked and I pushed. The more I pushed, the more I discovered how fellowship and community made me a better me. I still guard my alone time, but I don’t face social situations in nearly the same way as I did before. I simply don’t want to be guilty of seeking my own desire and raging against all wise judgment, and that keeps me sufficiently motivated to make fellowship a priority.

What's your motivation?