1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain. (Psalm 127:1 ESV)

There is a vanity and a pride in how we may look upon our lives. We take so much into our own hands and do not allow space for God to work. We believe we know best and thus we go about life doing it on our own until something happens. Then we cry to the heavens asking God, why?

Unless the Lord is a part of every part of our lives we are living it in vain. We think too highly of ourselves and our capabilities. We need to consider that when we function in the vacuum of ourselves we may soon suffocate. No man is an island, this is not just a great poem by John Donne, but it is a concept we need to understand. This is not just in light of our need for God but our need for others as well.

Reflect on: Are you living in the vanity and pride of being an island?