An Analogy of Isolation

In her book: Isolation - A Place of Transformation in the Life of a Leader, Shelley Trebesch uses an example from her youth.  She and her grandfather decided to refurbish an old chair.  She stripped a layer of paint only to find another layer and then another.  After much work, going from layer to layer she finally found the original wood which was a beautiful oak.  The analogy is that God uses times of isolation in our lives to strip off identities that are not the original wood (our true base identity in Christ).  We have identities built around getting accolades from our ministries, we have identities built on what we accomplish or don't accomplish, identities built around life sentences.   The minister has to get to a place to minister out of being not doing.  That being is directly related to relationship with Christ.

It is an identity not based on who we think we are, who others think we are, what we think others think we are, but based on who God says we are.

Entry into the Dark Night

"For some time now they have had some practice in the way of virtue and they have persevered in mediation and prayer, in which, by the sweetness and pleasure they have found therein, they have lost their love for the things of this world and have obtained some degree of spiritual strength in God. This has to some extent enabled them to refrain from creature desires, so that for God's sake they are now able to suffer a light burden and dryness without turning back to a time when they found more pleasant things in life.

When they go about these spiritual exercises with the greatest delight and pleasure, and when they believe that the sun of divine favor is shining most brightly upon them, God turns all this light of theirs into darkness and shuts against them the door and the source of the sweet spiritual water they were tasting in Him for as long as they desired and whenever they desired it. (For, as they were weak and tender, there was no door closed to them.)

Thus God leaves them so completely in the dark that they do not know where to go with their imagination and mediation, for they cannot advance a step in mediation as they once did, because their senses are submerged in the dark night; and they are left with such a dryness that the pleasure and consolation they used to experience is absorbed by a lack of taste and bitterness instead.

God now sees that they have grown a bit and are becoming strong enough to lay aside their "swaddling clothes" and be taken from the gentle breast. Therefore, He sets them down from His arms and teaches them to walk on their own two feet. This is ver strange for them, for they feel that everyting seems to be going wrong."

Dark Night of the Soul - St John of the Cross p 108-109

Blessings found in trial

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.  James 1:12

Personal or Organizational Conflict

Personal or Organizatin conflict is a kind of involuntary isolation process.

lessons learned here:
submission to God
submission to Spiritual authority
lesson of non-vidication of one's spiritual authority
value others perspectives
dependence on god
forgiveness
servant leadership paradigms.

Leadership Emergence Theory, J. Robert Clinton p 274

Prison

Prison is a kind of involuntary isolation process.

lessons learned here:
dependence on God
use of mental facilities, memory
submission to God's will
indirect influence through modeling and a widened intercessory life

Leadership Emergence Theory, J. Robert Clinton p 274

Sickness

Sickness is a kind of involuntary isolation process.

lessons learned here:
dependence on God
learning about supernatural healing
slowing of pace (allows reflection on identity issues)
deepening of the inner life, especially prayer
life flow paradigms (re-evaluating life priorities and how a leader lives out a life flow)

Leadership Emergence Theory, J. Robert Clinton p 274

Identity shift

A key element in the isolation process is God shifting a leaders identity from a "doing" based identity to a "being" based identity. Spiritual authority through the avenue of exemplary character is in focus.

Whereas previous growth processes have focused on efficiency (doing things right), this maturing process deals with effectiveness (doing the right things, doing them for the right reasons, and doing them from the right basis.

Leadership Emergence Theory - Dr. J. Robert Clinton - Barnabus resources 1989 p 273

Recognizing Isolation Seasons

Isolation can come with the loss of spiritual authority.  Spiritual authority is a place of favor from God given to a specific leader.  It is seen by influence that person has.  influence happens when a person is serving the kingdom of God with their gifts and callings.  It is being in the right place, at the right time, with the right people.

With isolation God begins to take away the favor or influence a person has.  it can be because of a physical move, a change in leadership or a soveriegn work.

This is part of God taking away those things that are shaping a persons identity other than God himself.

Look and see if God is taking your influence away and then don't hold on too tightly to that place or people and allow God to do what He wants.

Suffering

"I am amazed at the power that comes to us through suffering: we are worth nothing without the cross. Of course, I tremble and agonize while it lasts, and all my words about the beneficial effects of suffering vanish under the torture. But when it is all over, I look back on the experience with deep appreciation, and am ashamed that I bore it with so much bitterness. I am learning a great deal from my own foolishness!"

Let Go - Francis Fenlon

Types of Isolation

1. Voluntary

2. Involuntary

New Testament Examples

Jesus forty days in wilderness -
Paul, three years in wilderness in Arabia after his conversion - Galatians 1:17

Old Testament Examples

Joseph - Genesis 37-
Moses - Exodus 2 -
Elijah - 1 Kings 17 -
and a shorter period of isolation after Mnt Carmel 1 Kings -
The Israelites - Numbers -

a Definition of Isolation

Isolation

is a setting aside of a leader from normal ministry involvement in its natural context usually for an extended time in order to experience God in a new or deeper way (Bobby Clinton 1989: 274)

Isolation: Trebesch p.10

Possible Chapters and ideas

Chapters

What is isolation
The processes of isolation
Stripping
Wrestling
Finding Intimacy
The pain of isolation
The Desired Outcomes of isolation
Seeing life with a transcendental cause
Growing in faith
Changing Paradigms

Isolation Resources

Books


Leadership Emergence Theory - Dr. J. Robert Clinton - Barnabus resources 1989

The Making of a Leader - Dr. J. Robert Clinton - Navpress 1988

The Inward Journey - Gene Edwards - Christian books 1982

Let Go - Francis Fenlon - Whitaker House 1973 (originally written in 17th century)

Dark Night of the soul - St John of the cross

Isolation: A Place of Transformation in the Life of A Leader - Shelley Trebesch - Barnabus Publishers 1997