February 19, 2020 – Click here to listen
I was by myself driving home from my plantation yesterday and for whatever reason I began thinking about the subject of suicide. My only sibling, my brother Jim, my grandfather, and two of my uncles all committed suicide. I was suicidal for most of my early life and it was not until I became a Christ follower that those tendencies diminished.
So why would anyone commit suicide? I believe it comes from a complete lack of hope. When people lose hope, they lose their ability to dream for the future. Despair replaces joy. Fear replaces faith. Anxiety replaces prayer. Insecurity replaces confidence. Tomorrow’s dreams are replaced by nightmares. It’s a lousy way to live.
One cannot have hope without faith . . . When people have hope they have faith, because they hold a belief that says, “I believe that the future will be better.” And while they have no grounds to empirically “prove” that hopeful assumption, they have faith in it. Hope without faith is not possible.
Life can be difficult with its many ups and downs and there are many obstacles which lead to discouragement. Howard Hendricks gave a gripping definition of discouragement: “Discouragement is the anesthetic the devil uses on a person just before he reaches in and carves out his heart.” When we battle through life feeling we are alone we most often lose hope. I remember being all alone and living on the street and thinking that no one would even know if I committed suicide and if they did, they wouldn’t care. I was miserable and saw no way to achieve a good outcome. Of course at the time I knew little to nothing about the love of Christ and how He wanted to draw near and comfort me. To be candid I didn’t even know what love was at this time in my life.
To carry on we must have a mindset that things won’t always be this bad, that we won’t always feel this hopeless and desperate, and life won’t always be so cruel. We must realize that we are not always going to be this sad. Without the love of Christ that is impossible to do. I’ve tried drugs, alcohol, sex, money and material things, achieving great accomplishments, and pretty much all the world has to offer and none of it offers lasting hope. A brief moment of excitement is generally followed by despair.
You might feel as I did like the only way out is to end it all but forget about that there is hope for one and all. We just need to take advantage of it. When spouses lose hope, they give up on their marriage. Parents give up on their teens. Leaders give up on their people. Healthy emotions like contentment and peace are replaced with the toxic emotions of confusion, shame, worry, and disappointment. In short, it’s impossible to be spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, or relationally healthy when we’re gripped by discouragement.
There is help out there, and there are people, in the world who care about you. While I know many people who seek professional counseling and I’m sure severe depression and other clinical illnesses require professionals to address the health issues, but I found my peace in Jesus and His church. Jesus is the hope booster of hope boosters. He loves us unconditionally and stands ready to help and those true followers of Him are right there with Him just waiting to help you. The key is having faith in Him and asking for His help.
Were it not for the hope He instilled in me I would not be alive today much less happy and hopeful for the rest of my days on this planet and forever in paradise. Get involved in a good church and join a small group. Study your Bible. Pray to God almighty and you will find hope.
Isaiah 40:31
. . . but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.