The Tempting Danger of Isolationism

by David Rollert

Living in New Hampshire, Christians often end up feeling very isolated. After all, few congregations of the Lord’s church exist here, so it is hard to have much fellowship with other congregations. On top of that, because of the intense winters, many people become hermits through the winter months. That level of isolation appeals to some. However, there are serious dangers in succumbing to the temptation of indulging isolationism.

Facing personal struggles alone: In Galatians 6:1-5, Paul instructs Christians to restore those caught in sin and to bear one another’s burdens. He says that by doing so we are fulfilling the law of Christ. The first and most obvious point is that we cannot bear one another’s burdens if we isolate from one another. But consider this from the other direction. What about when you are the one struggling, perhaps caught up in sin or burdened by cares and worries? Many Christians will say, “I don’t want to burden you with my problems,” or “I don’t want to be a burden to anyone.” Wait! Full stop! The Holy Spirit through Paul literally commands us to bear one another’s burdens. We cannot fulfill that command if those who are struggling isolate themselves from the congregation.

The pride of isolationism: There are a couple of odd kinds of pride that crop up in some Christians. The first kind we might call “servant’s pride.” This pride says “I will go out of my way to serve your needs, but you are not allowed to go out of your way to serve my needs.” The root of this is generally deep-seated insecurity and a lack of self-worth. The person thinks that their service to others is the only thing that gives them value, and being served detracts from that value. This pride often drives one to isolate when they have problems so no one can serve their needs.

The other type of pride that may arise is what we might call “saboteur’s pride.” This pride says, “I will insist things are good when I am struggling and even reject help, then get mad when no one helps bear my burdens.” This kind of pride is often found in people who have been badly hurt by fellow Christians in the past, so they are hesitant to let people see their present weakness. While they desperately desire support, they unintentionally sabotage others’ ability to bear their burdens and thus perpetuate their feelings of being hurt by the church.

Solutions: There is no single fix for these situations, and blame does not fall exclusively on one group. Those who are not struggling at the moment should go out of their way to check on their fellow Christians, even those who seem fine. Those who are struggling should humble themselves and communicate their needs to trustworthy fellow Christians. Everyone should extend grace and understanding to one another, knowing that we are all human and we all deal with unseen struggles.