There is a certain peace that comes with isolation.

It is quiet and relaxing. The silence that comes with it, although deafening, is one that can grow on a person over time. It almost has a calm feeling to it. It allows one to be removed completely from openness and honesty.  In a world that revolves around social media and technology, isolation is a lot easier to come by. We update our Facebook status’s and upload pictures to Instagram, all the while putting off conversations that demand honesty and trust.  Social media has become a gateway and opened a door into a world where we say things we don’t mean, and make promises that we can’t keep.

We determine self-worth through how many friends we have or how many likes we get. Bullying is no longer just on the playground, it is everywhere. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter,  and instant messages. Social media has made the list endless.

Through this endless list of social media, isolation has become more readily available and accepted. Comments and texts have replaced what was once phone conversations and heartfelt discussions over lunch.

I’ve gone through periods of time in my life where isolation ruled my actions and attitude. I would stay in contact just enough to make people think that I’m okay, but isolate myself just enough to where I avoid the meaningful conversations – the ones that require honesty and trust. I would do this because it seemed to make my life simple.

I didn’t have to worry about being let down or hurt because I wouldn’t give anyone the time to be able to let me down. For a while it seemed to work, however the more I became isolated, the less I knew how to talk to people; the more I kept quiet, the less I could speak when I wanted to.

So there I was, I was drifting. I was silent and isolated, as I floated along I allowed my need to converse and interact to be deafened out by my desire to be alone. It really didn’t bother me until I realized that I wasn’t just isolating myself from my friends and my family. Reality set in when I realized that I had isolated myself from God as well. In an attempt to not need anyone, I had become my own god. I thought I was invincible.

I struggled for a while, as my will battled that of God’s. Did I really need him? Couldn’t I only rely on our relationship as a last resort?

We each have a unique relationship with God, but for all of us it must be a daily thing. No matter what it is, it must be daily communication or we will find ourselves isolated. As time goes by and we drift through life we will become numb, and as we go through the stages of isolation that numbness turns to bitterness, and it is through that bitterness that ones heart will begin to harden. Once that happens we will find ourselves at a point of difficult return.

Although isolation seems simple and peaceful at first, after a while it will become dangerous. Eventually the isolation will move from work relationships, to personal relationships, and onto our relationship with God. As an introvert, most times I love being alone, but I have to remind myself that I need that communication. I need the encouragement and chastisement, I need the love, I need the wisdom, and I need the advice.

Without those things we become emotionless, hollow, and isolated…