Isolation is Dangerous

When we see a high-voltage sign signaling danger, we know to avoid the area. The threat there is so significant that if we enter, we would be jeopardizing our life. Likewise, any social isolation is a danger signal.  God made us to be connected! We are social beings, and as such, we all need a connection to be emotionally stable. When we are children, we should not emotionally detach ourselves from our parents because they are our sources of stability. When we are adults, we should not distance ourselves from our husbands, wives, and children and God because, in that network, we find constancy. If we recognize that we are isolated, we must correct it immediately. If we realize that one of our loved ones is isolated, we should work to reconnect with them.

When our children are little, we observe them, and if they have trouble communicating, listening, and talking, we get them speech therapy. We work with them because interacting with other people is how we connect. Wise parents want their children to communicate with their teachers and peers. They know this connection will improve the development of their personality, build their autonomy, and bolster their academic success.

The mass shootings that have taken place at schools have almost all shared one common thread, and that is the shooters were isolated. When a human being at any age loses their connection to other people, they are at risk of abnormal behavior. The shooters lacked a connection to other people, which placed them in isolation and thus distorted their ability to feel good healthy emotions. Their low self-esteem and a host of negative emotions pushed them to make irrational choices.

God created us to have a connection with him. That connection was lost through sin but restored when Jesus died for us on the cross. This is the beauty of the salvation story found in the Bible. When we trust Jesus to save us—he does that for now and eternity, but greater still, he becomes our connection to God the Father. That connection with God brings joy and fulfillment like no other. With that connection, we begin to see the world through God’s eyes. People who were previously an irritation or whom we had written off now have value to us. We establish communication and connection with them so that there is mutual edification and satisfaction. People who love us and whom we love now are closer, and we learn to value them more.

When a person is connected to God, family, and friends, they have the best possibility to enjoy life. They will be enthusiastic about life and more in control of their emotions. They experience the best feelings possible and are stronger emotionally. Science says connected people live longer and enjoy life more than isolated people. Isolation is truly dangerous, and staying connected to other people, especially those who love us, is very healthy. No matter how hard it is to overcome conflict, we should work at it because through our connection to God and others, and we experience and enjoy the world.