Lack of sound judgment can cause separation

Proverbs 18:1 (ESV)
1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.

This verse refers to a person who takes pride in separating themselves from the sentiments of others. They seek to contradict what has been said before them in order to advance their own ideas and notions. These people are driven by vanity, lust or desire and they often will meddle in what does not concern them. They are often opinionated and conceited and to others they become a thorn. They create animosity which separates them from those with sound judgment.

Reading this verse reminded me of an event from my past. I was at a drive-thru window waiting on a breakfast item. The cashier said it might be a few minutes and could I pull forward as possible so that they could serve other customers. Well there was only so much room to move forward without blocking the parking lot, but I moved as forward as possible. A few customers had been served and managed without problem to pull around my waiting car. Then a customer driving a new, very expensive car refused to go around me and started blowing his horn for me to move. I was held captive waiting on my food and now I was becoming frustrated by the individual behind me. It wasn’t long that in addition to the horn the man started using finger gestures and I could hear the vulgar profanity as he yelled for me to move out of his way. With nowhere to move I got out of my car to explain I was waiting on my food, but I was insulted with some of the most vulgar language I had ever heard. So I left my car and walked into the store and said I either needed my food or a refund because there was an irate customer at their window refusing to pull around my car. They assured me they would be out in a second with my food so I returned to my car where the man continued to hurl insults. Then as I waited he finally pulled around my car and again demonstrated the versatility of his fingers.

The problem was not with me, the man in the expensive car owned the problem. Everyone else had used sensible judgment to pull around my car; but this man refused. It may have been vanity, pride or his own desires, but he refused to do what other sensible people had done. His rudeness, his demeanor, his actions and his words were enough to separate and isolate him from anyone watching or listening. Make sure to always use sound judgment in dealing with people so as not to separate you from other as this man did.