Isolating ourselves from others by putting on a polite smile and sharing some polite small talk and then going to do our own thing (who cares about the ones we leave behind) is exactly what the devil wants us to do. He loves to whisper to us Americans (we Americans are very susceptible to this independent isolating spirit which is not Biblically supported by the way) that we don't need people. We don't need our fellow employees. We don't need our church family (I mean we can worship God anywhere, right?....yes, that is right but Christ called us to be part of His Body -- it is hard to function as part of His body when we keep ourselves closed off from the rest of the Body -- in a physical body that amounts to the tourniquet-affect -- that part cut off from the blood supply has to be cut off because it's dead).
I think we all fall into this isolation trap. I have myself. Usually this happens to me (or when I want to isolate but God reminds me that that isn't what I'm supposed to do) when I get emotionally down; or when I allow myself to get hurt by someone who had no intention of hurting me (heck, they probably didn't even know they hurt me, but I can be super sensitive in a bad sort of way -- an inward silly Jane sort of way).
Christians, we have to guard against the notion of keeping to ourselves. This world is getting closer to when Jesus will return. The closer we get to His return, the more evil this world will become. We need each other. Even if you don't want to need other Christians, you need them. And they need you. Maybe right now you feel okay. Maybe right now you feel like you can go it alone. Resist this thought. Be courageous emotionally. Be vulnerable. In our vulnerability will be our strength together. Christ Jesus is our strength. We find this by acting like a Body. He is the head. We are the rest of it.
When I am vulnerable, when you are vulnerable, we give others courage to be vulnerable. Really. Vulnerability will be the church's superpower. It is now -- most of us just haven't tapped into it. We haven't tried it because it sounds so very scary.
"if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men."
Philippians 2:1-7