No man is an island

“No Man is an Island” is a line from the famous poem written by John Donne, but it also was used by Hemingway and Metallica. The reason this phrase has been used many times is because it’s true, no man is an island, no one can survive by themselves. We as humans need interaction, and we need to be around others. This is a good thing, but it can also be harmful to those around us.

This morning I was reading one of the craziest stories in the Bible (and there are a lot of them). In Numbers 16 a man named Korah starts a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. He did not want to submit under their leadership, and was questioning if they were really God’s chosen leaders. Obviously, God was not pleased with this, so he punished Korah and his followers by having the ground open up and eat them. Numbers 16:32 says:

“And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods”

In this story, Korah wasn’t the only one who was affected by his sin. His disobedience and rebellious attitude cause the people in his family to punished also. I think this is a very applicable to our lives. Often times we think that we are an island and that our sin only affects us, but this is not true. Sin is never just isolated to you, but it will affect those around you.

For example, one of my biggest sins is pride. On the surface, it seems like this is just something that affect me, but it goes much further than that. Not only does this sometimes hinder my relationship with God, it will impact how I interact with people around me. Pride will hinder me from asking for and giving forgiveness, from taking directions from authority figures, from trusting others with my problems, etc. This is a sin that I have to battle everyday, especially in my relationships with other people.

The impact of sin on those around us is something I think we all need to be aware of. So, I encourage you to examine your heart for various sins that you easily fall into, think about how that sin can impact those around you, and ask for forgiveness if necessary. Remember, no man is an island, your actions will always have an affect on others.