Actor and comedian Jim Carrey once made a comment about isolation I think many of us can relate to. Especially if we’re in jobs dealing with the general public, customer service, and consistently giving ourselves emotionally and physically. Plus, some of us are introverts – so it applies even more. Mr. Carrey said:

“Solitude is dangerous. It’s very addictive. It becomes a habit after you realize how peaceful and calm it is. It’s like you don’t want to deal with people anymore because they drain your energy.”

It is a fine balance between being alone to recharge and reenergize – or consistently being alone to avoid people and human interaction. Maybe we’ve been hurt, taken advantage of, drained, or annoyed by people. Plus, at the time of this writing – we are going through the process of finding a new church to call home. I find it super easy not to go at all. Who thought at my age I’d be doing this again? “Maybe I’ll continue the search next week. . . “

A mental image that comes to mind is a piece of driftwood floating in the water. It is incredibly relaxing to sit on the beach or some type of shore line and watch the patterns of the waves as they crash and then retract. It’s also fascinating to watch a piece of wood being moved by the waves. The wood innocently seems to have no will of its own. The pull of the water is the only direction it has at this time unless someone or something intervenes. Did you know the Bible warns against us being like that piece of wood? More specifically – it warns against a certain type of drifting:

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it (Hebrews 2:1).

Some things to consider if we sense ourselves drifting from the truth in any area of our lives:

1. We don’t need to do anything to drift. Regression in any area of our lives happens naturally. If we aren’t intentional – decline is the natural default mode. Physically, mentally, socially, spiritually, and financially. Similar to the ever growing weeds in our flower beds – they just happen unless we are continually active in eliminating them. Plus, life can be overwhelming with challenges, problems, setbacks, procrastination, and overwhelm. Those all help accelerate the drift in our lives. Why put in the work to change the current course? Is it even worth it?
2. We become isolated or unaccountable when we drift. Look at Jim Carrey’s warning, “Solitude is dangerous.” Our culture continues to encourage and make isolation incredibly attractive and easy. Food, entertainment, communication, banking, “social” media, church, shopping, and on and on. It all can be done from the comfort of the couch with a few clicks on the phone or favorite device. The writer of Hebrews wrote a warning to the Christians of his day: “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together – and all the more as you see The Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25) Further study shows that this group wasn’t meeting due to lack of interest. They weren’t meeting because it had a price attached. Fear, threats, possible harm, or even death. We don’t get together because of inconvenience, lack of priority, or not wanting to get emotionally hurt. Who is missing out on our gifts and uniqueness we have to offer when we are absent?
3. We don’t grow when we drift. None of us deliberately want pain. Or struggles and hassles. Or battles. In a weird irony – those are the best ways for us to grow. I’d rather read a book about growth. Even better, listen to a podcast about “The 3 Easy Steps to Pain Free Growth” (I just made the title up – let me know if it’s really out there!). The shift from contributor to consumer is so subtle. The status quo becomes the goal we’re shooting for. And when we eventually do hit hard times – that is when we need people the most. People to listen and not judge. People to hug and encourage us. People to pray for us. Drifting and isolation want us to keep it all in and pretend we have our act together. In the wild, a lion will seek out the prey that has strayed from the pack. Peter warns us our enemy the devil is like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). One of my favorite movie quotes comes from The Shawshank Redemption. The main character, Andy Dufresne, says to his friend, Red, “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.”

Conclusion: One of the hardest things to prevent drifting in any of the key areas of our lives is we have to work at it not to. It takes major effort. Being vulnerable and potentially being hurt. This also carries over regarding our relationship with Jesus. In the book of Revelation, he calls out a church in the ancient city of Ephesus. However, he could just as easily be talking to us:

But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love each other as you did at first. Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first (Revelation 2: 4,5).

What does that even look like? What are the “works you did at first”? Author Steve Farrar offers these tough reflection points from his book, Finishing Strong:

*You’re not seeking Jesus Christ the way you once did.

*You’re not hungrily diving into the Word the way you once did.

*You’re not enjoying the company of believers the way you once did.

*You’re not delighting in quiet walks and talks with God the way you once did.

If any of these apply to you and me, the good news is that every day is a fresh beginning. Instead of beating ourselves up – we can start small in any of the above areas and go from there. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische