Tag Archives: suicide

Isolation, the Silent Killer

“A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.” ~ Proverbs 18:1

Isolation can be a killer. To remain unconnected from meaningful, accountable relationships with godly men is an invitation to disaster.

Joe* was a young man I mentored in the early nineties. At one time he made it big in the world of high finance. Successful. Articulate. Bright. Educated. He was a married family man with four beautiful daughters.

Joe accepted Christ and subsequently sensed a call into the ministry. He planted a church not far from where I live. The ministry grew and prospered under his capable leadership. We would meet periodically over lunch, and our connection of trust allowed us to go to build accountability that kept us both on track and healthy.

But out of nowhere he stopped showing up. I emailed and called him several times and didn’t get any response. I decided to assume he was simply busy.

Then one day I received some news that sucked the wind out of my lungs. Joe had an affair, separated from his wife, and a few months later, he committed suicide. I felt substantial levels of grief the morning I heard the news. Beyond the obvious, my grief was intensified by the unnecessary nature of this tragedy.

If only he stayed connected to someone… perhaps a wife would not be a widow, four girls would still have a daddy, I would still have a friend, and a church would still have a loving shepherd.

Let this serve as a wake-up call to all of us. We need each other, because isolation can be a killer. You and I were not meant to do life alone. Men need other men to help us be the men God created us to be. ~ SS

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