January 8, 2020 – Click here to listen
In the past two days I’ve had two friends relate to me that they had a close friend who either attempted or was seriously contemplating suicide. As many of you know my grandfather, two of my uncles, and my only sibling, my brother Jim, committed suicide. Add to that countless friends and acquaintances that I’ve known that have taken that route and I regret to say that I too have contemplated suicide on many occasions in my younger days. I am far too familiar with this evil.
My conclusion is that those who commit suicide have simply lost all hope in life. They view it as an escape from the trials and tribulations of this world. Most are miserable and just want to end it all. No one escapes the pain of this world but people cope with it differently.
I heard a renowned physician say that suicide was caused by mental disease. I disagree, at least in the overwhelming majority of cases. I believe it is caused by a spiritual disease. Drugs and alcohol addiction often lead to suicide. Again some medical experts say those afflictions are due to mental disease. And again I maintain that it is spiritual and their despair and sinful lives turned them to alcohol and drugs due to an effort to fill the emptiness and pain of their lives through mind altering substances as an escape mechanism.
The same holds true with those who opt out of life for financial reasons. They lose jobs, or their fortune, or business, and cannot pay their bills and just give up. They are missing the fact that they came into this world with nothing and will leave it with nothing. It is the soul that lives on and not the money or fancy home.
Through the years I have offered spiritual counsel to many people who were contemplating suicide. I have successfully talked many down from the ledge, but have failed in other cases. One in particular comes to mind. A good friend of mine asked me to counsel his 20 year old son who had been arrested for heroin use and was out of jail on bond. My friend held a very high position in a ministry and he and his wife loved the Lord with all they had. So I sat down with him and the first question I asked was what his relationship with Jesus was like. He nonchalantly looked at me and said I don’t believe in God.
I was stunned. I discovered he had a high school science teacher that convinced him there was no God. I talked to that young man for several hours and at the end he smiled at me and shook hands and thanked me for driving across the state to meet with him. I called his father on my drive home and briefed him on what he had said about losing his faith. Later that night he shot himself in the temple and died. His parents heard the shot and went in and found him. Can you imagine???
I was devastated for months after that and it haunted me day and night. I prayed and prayed to God asking what I might have said to convince him that God does indeed exist and more importantly loves him so much he allowed His only Son to dies for his sins and mine.
I can tell you first hand that suicide is extremely difficult for a family. Why didn’t I say and do more? What if I would have taken off work and gone and camped out with him and helped him through the crisis? Why didn’t I seek professional health for him when he became depressed? Why didn’t I take his comments seriously?
I asked similar questions in regard to that young man and likewise with my brother Jim. In my brother’s case I had no idea that he was contemplating suicide because he wouldn’t answer the phone when I called to check on him, but I felt I should have done more. His daughters found a half-completed suicide note and you can imagine how it made them feel to have not taken it seriously. They didn’t even call me.
Suicide and thoughts of it come straight out of hell. The world and all that is in it are controlled by the beast and without Jesus we would all be miserable to the point of not wanting to live. Only Jesus can fill the void in our hearts that gives us hope. We all face tragedy, serious problems, loneliness, despair, at times, but when we know that Jesus is by our sides we can bear it. The Bible tells us that our pain turns to gain and to just keep the faith and battle on. Jesus has promised to never leave us and will lead us and guide us to safety, peace, love, and utter joy.
If you know someone who is contemplating suicide, please get them professional help from a Christian based mental health facility. DO take their threats seriously. If you are depressed and thinking what’s the use, do the same. Don’t allow Satan to take your life. Things are never as bad as they seem and take it from me that through Christ you can overcome obstacles with ease that you and everyone who knows you think are insurmountable. There was a time in my life that I didn’t believe I would live to the age of 25 and would OD or die a violent death. Marriage, children, grandchildren, friends, a career, church, were all just pipe dreams,
but God!!!!
Surrender to Christ and take it one day at time. Remember, you can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you!
Matt. 6:34
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!