Isolation

I have a habit of making notes in the app on my phone that make absolutely no sense. I write down parts of an idea, a broken sentence, or a word and expect myself to know the deeper meaning or thought I was having in the exact moment, months from now.

Spoiler alert: Most of these notes never get decoded and get put into a little folder marked "miscellaneous".

However, I did have a quote by Lysa TerKeurst that said "If the enemy can isolate us, he can influence us."

This is a special note to find this week. A year ago, the country came to know isolation on a completely different level. Many of us were home from work, away from parents, school, friends, family, etc. During this time, churches closed and we all kinda wondered what everyday life would look like from here on out.

Isolation is hard. We aren't built for it. We need interaction. We need each other. We are to be a body.

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." -1 Corinthians 12:12

But, I am reminded of how faithful God is. While isolation was hard, it made us surrender. It made us trust God's will over ours. It made me rejoice in hugs and seeing the faces of friends. It made me crave church, and while it still looks a little different than it once did, I'm grateful to be able to attend, even if it is virtually at the moment.

The enemy intended this isolation time for evil. He thought he could influence us to give in to his perversive ways, but he's defeated. Wake up every morning with the intention of reminding Satan that he is defeated. He can't influence you because you refuse to be cut off. You refuse to be isolated because you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you.

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." -1 Peter 5:8

Anyone who has watched animal planet could tell you that you are safer when you're with others who are like you. When you have a herd, it is harder for the lion to attack and single out one to devour. The same is true for us, we are a body. We need each other to function properly. Lean into your herd and let them protect you, and strengthen you in encouragement and prayer; you are not meant to be isolated. You are called to something higher than to be influenced by the lies of a defeated foe.

I'm not sure what kind of isolation you're in today. I'm not sure if your circumstances are isolating you, or you are isolating yourself, but let God in. Let fellow believers in. In order to receive help, you have to ask for it. Do not let what the enemy has intended for evil influence your joy and fellowship. Maybe gathering together does look a little different today than it did at one time, but isn't that what's so awesome about being connected in other ways today? A friend's face is just a few buttons away, a voice of reassurance, and if you don't have that or feel up to it, I still have good news for you. Your Bible didn't stop speaking truth and showing the faithfulness of God just because you aren't sitting in a pew. Open your Bible. The church didn't stop being the church because of quarantine. Reach out to a church page or call in. You are only as isolated as you choose to be in today's world. It has never been easier to find support in whatever you're walking through at this moment.