Have you ever opened the pantry or fridge in a rush looking for something, but not seeing it? After slowing down and REALLY looking, finding it was right in front of you all along? Me too!
Our culture of busyness hijacks our schedule and turns us into mechanical beings, existing to check a box and move on to the next task. We have believed the lie that we don’t have time to make the connection, so we move from one person to the next, scrolling our way through life and never taking the time to truly see those standing in front of us. In turn, it perpetuates the focus of self and the fallout is isolation.
A biblical example is King Nebuchadnezzer. He built one of the most beautiful and influential empires in history. But, he spent the majority of his reign creating opportunities to bring glory to himself. The final straw came after God had warned King Nebuchadnezzer in a dream that he would become like a mighty tree, cut down at the root and driven away from people to live with wild animals (Daniel 4:25). He didn’t heed God’s warning and a year later, while walking on the roof of his palace, he credited his power for the kingdom laid out before him.
“Is this not Babylon the Great that I have built to be a royal residence by my vast power and for my majestic glory?” Daniel 4:30
Immediately, he lost everything he admired and worshiped and was banished to live in isolation.
God’s Word says,
“One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound wisdom.”
Proverbs 18:1 CSB
When we focus on the elevation of our own brand and influence, often times we isolate ourselves. Subsequently, we have made a choice not to connect, serve, or be present in the lives of those around us and rebelling against all sound wisdom.
James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits unwavering , without pretense.”
Believers who have failed to form connections with others are not able to bear the fruit of gentleness, peace, and mercy. We are so busy resurrecting our own little palaces and kingdoms and giving ourselves all the glory that we have missed the call to community? We have isolated ourselves behind screens, through social media, live streams, and news feeds. We are busy building empires that are illusions of surface perfection. These empires can be gone in an instant, along with the false identification we have adopted as truth.
When we place our faith and hope in Jesus Christ, he becomes our identity. But, it takes complete surrender. Once we recognize that our identity comes from Jesus, we start to decrease and the awareness we have for others becomes apparent and the treasure is seeing people as Christ sees them. But, the greater gift is showing them the fruit of gentleness, peace, and mercy in a display of God’s beautiful wisdom.
So, who will we see today?
