Suicide

Suicide is a serious issue plaguing the world today. More and more people have lost all hope and see no other way out besides taking their own life. There are numerous celebrities that failed to find true happiness, even in the midst of their money and fame. More and more people see the examples set from celebrities which seems to normalize the idea of suicide. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention an American dies by suicide every 12.95 minutes and over 1.5 million lives are lost to suicide each year! The majority of those who commit suicide are veterans and individuals with psychiatric disorders. This issue has greatly increased over the years and has become the 10th leading cause of death.



Where can we go from here? How can we help make a difference regarding this issue? The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Philippians while he was in prison. If he had any reason to complain about his circumstances, he did. Philippians 4:12-13 says "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."  Such a powerful verse. Paul has been through trials, he has been hungry, he has been needy, and he was even in prison at the time he wrote that verse. But his relationship with the Lord gives him the strength and perseverance to carry on. He knows there's got to be more for him in the future and keeps his head held high. He can do all things through Christ who strengthens him, as can all of us! Our human strength is not enough to get us through life alone. Too many people are focused on only the present time and have clouded vision when it comes to dreaming about their future.

For many, the battle they are fighting is in the mind. This goes for many veterans struggling with PTSD as well as those suffering with a psychiatric disorder. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." This verse gives us hope that we don't have to fight the wages of the world. Praise God! Verse 4 in the NLT translation says "We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

Use God's weapons to rebuke any false ideas encouraging you to take your own life. Suicide is not honorable, it is not the only way out, it is not what others would want for you. If you have been contemplating suicide, I encourage you to seek help, talk to someone, be honest with yourself, and most importantly, look to God's word for the answers you seek, the hope that you need, and the tools to get you through these dark times. Only light can conquer the dark. Let your light shine!