CHOOSE LIFE!
Greetings church family!
“I love Jesus, but I want to die.”
Many believers today battle thoughts like this one. Maybe you are one of them. To be completely honest, I have had my own moments where I didn’t feel like life was worth living anymore.
Life can be very difficult at times. Loss, anxiety, fear, sorrow, debt, physical pain, loneliness - all of these and more can overwhelm our sense of peace and contentment. This can lead to the harboring of suicidal thoughts.
If this is your experience, the first thing to know is that having these kinds of thoughts does not mean you are somehow an unbeliever or a subpar Christian. Throughout Scripture, many faithful believers battled the desire for their life to come to an end.
Job lost his children, material wealth, and health, and he reached a point where death was his desire. Job 6:8-9 says, “If only my request would be granted and God would provide what I hope for: that he would decide to crush me; to unleash his power and cut me off!"
Elijah had just successfully exposed the false prophets in Israel, and was rewarded with a death threat by Queen Jezebel. 1 Kings 19:3-4 says, “Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life. When he came to Beer-sheba that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there, but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, ‘I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my ancestors.’”
Moses had to deal with a nation of complaining people during their journey through the Sinai wilderness. At one point, he couldn’t handle their complaining anymore. Numbers 11:14-15 says, “I can’t carry all these people by myself. They are too much for me. If you are going to treat me like this, please kill me right now if I have found favor with you, and don’t let me see my misery anymore.’”
The second thing I invite you to do is to reach out to someone. Reach out to someone you trust and let them know what you are dealing with. Reach out to a professional who can help you navigate your struggles. You may find that there are physical/chemical deficiencies that are undermining your peace. As a pastor, I also strongly encourage you to stay connected to God in prayer and reading the Word, just NOT at the expense of the previous suggestions.
Whatever you do, don’t fight the battle alone. Isolation is no solution!
Finally, I’d like to encourage you to participate in our Speak Life: Suicide Prevention series taking place this Friday at 7 pm, and this Sabbath at 11 am and 3 pm at Foothills. Our guest speaker, Mark Tamalea’a (pastor/educator/motivational speaker), will be sharing meaningful insights from his journey of having lost a son to suicide.
Church family, it is my prayer that you will choose life over the alternative, and that you will allow God’s voice and support from loved ones to drown out any thoughts of hopelessness. Not only does God say through Scripture that you are His masterpiece, but He also says that He knit you in your mother’s womb. Your presence matters. God has a purpose for you. And God will be at your side at all times, helping you to overcome the inner thoughts and external circumstances that seem too much to bear. Remember, God is for you, God is with you, and God loves you!
Pastor Chris
