No Man Should Even Try to Be an Island! Prov. 18:1; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Once upon a time my idea of retirement was a cabin up the North Fork of the Flathead River (runs along the West side of Glacier Nat’l. Park).  How great, I thought, to get away from everyone else.  Well, eventually some common sense prevailed.  One day we saw an absolutely huge black bear in the middle of the road who then ran off into one of the private ranches around Polebridge.  It occurred to me that we would have to deal with that animal and/or his kinfolk.  Suddenly being all by ourselves wasn’t quite to enticing.

But wait.  Is it just the need for people to help in the face of danger?  Solomon tells of the benefits of having a companion, the good things that can come to us.  We can accomplish more together.  We have someone to help in time of trouble.  We can keep each other warm.  And we can stand up to the neighborhood bully.  But Solomon in Proverbs makes another observation.  The person who wants to be alone just wants to do his own thing and this stands against sound judgment.

The story to illustrate this is that of David when he stayed home instead of going out with the troops (2 Sam. 11:1).  With no one around he lusted and then committed adultery and his life was never the same.

But you might ask: weren’t there people around?  Of course there were.  Read the story in 2 Sam. 11.  There were people he could ask to find out who the woman was; and there were messengers he could send to get her to come to his house.  But those people were inclined to do anything David asked them to do.  They would not question him; they would only serve him.  And thus we find that isolation is not simply a matter of being by ourselves.  It is living our lives in secret.  It is making sure those around us will only affirm us.  It’s why there are often rules about workplace fraternization, nepotism and doors without windows.  

Sometimes I struggle with accountability.  I know how easy it is to hide one’s true self from those to whom we promise to give account.  There is no way around that.  In the end the ONLY accountability is the fear of the Lord.  But here is what Prov. 18:1 says about accountability.  It acknowledges that, yes, you can fool all the time if you want.  But it says that you are stupid (yes, using the term according to its dictionary definition) if you play that game.  When we isolate ourselves we do it because we want to follow our selfish desires.  And that doesn’t just defy common sense; it rages against common sense.

The body of Christ is designed as a guard against this.  It was meant to bring people together to encourage and provoke one another (Heb. 10:24-25).  Offensive behavior was to be confronted (Matt. 18:15-17).  And by hospitality and fellowship believers were to be together with transparency.  May I encourage you as I encourage myself: do not forsake the local church; and don’t allow it to become a gathering where people are permitted to hide themselves.