By John Robin Murphy, Founder of Rock House Center
A friend of mine committed suicide a few days before I wrote this. He must have come to believe that this sad act was his best way out of his emotional and financial problems. The final lie he believed was that it made sense to implement a permanent solution of suicide to a temporary problem of negative emotions. Of course, the truth is that he passed on a bigger problem to his grief-stricken family. Even if he had become financially destitute as he had feared, his wife and four children would be better off with him alive than collecting the life insurance benefits without him.
How does this make sense?
You might be able to understand how this could happen with someone whose life was in complete shambles and didn’t know God. My friend however, was one of the most involved and engaged Christian men in our community and had many loving relationships. Your first thought might be to doubt the authenticity of his faith. God is clear that we do not know, nor is it our place to judge the hearts of other people. If that is off limits, then how are we to understand what happened.
We learn from the story of King David that when the Amalekites had taken everything, and his men wanted to kill him, that authentic Christians can also experience despair. Instead of allowing the despair to bring destruction in David’s life or dishonor to God, the story reveals that David strengthened himself in the Lord.
His Psalms indicate how he may have done this. He most likely proclaimed the truth of the awesome magnificence of God, thanked him for how trustworthy He had been throughout his life, and affirmed his acceptance and belief in His promises, including David’s anointing to be king of Israel.
He brought the truth of God’s love and trustworthiness into the moment.
Once strengthened, David inquired of the Lord for guidance on how to deal with the situation. No longer in despair, he turned to God for answers for what to do next. The result was that David regained all that was taken plus more, and he became king of Israel soon thereafter. In comparing the two situations of King David and my friend, you can see that one reached out for strength before trying to figure out what to do and the other made a decision from a place of isolation with a heart full of hopelessness.
Jesus and God live in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit within. We never need to be alone or in despair because God is always only one thought away, and His promises are real. When we are in desperation, we are in a place of fear. Under this emotion from hell, we are open to the lies of the enemy that are intended to kill, steal and destroy. God does not intend for you to take on these intense and powerful emotions on your own. His plan for you is to trust Him in very situation for absolute peace.
I beg you not to fall prey to the plans of the enemy in any aspect of your life, but instead to engage the Author of life in a conversation of strength and clarity in moments of despair and uncertainty. If you need help getting through the lies to God, get with someone who is trustworthy to help you break through. There is very real danger in staying in a place of isolation while wrestling with intense feelings of despair or hopelessness.
Remember God is one thought away.
He lives in you. You are never alone and never need to “go it alone.” That is as absolute as the reality that my friend is gone. Forever.
If you are feeling hopeless, alone, or depressed, please pray this prayer and then get some help.