The Guardian (Nigeria)

Suicide Not An Option (2)

-

eptitude, among others, have been identified as the causes of depression that have led many to take their own lives.

Every one of us is going to experience trials, tribulatio­ns, sufferings, troubles, discourage­ments, disappoint­ments, heartaches, sickness and disease. This comes with life. No amount of money, faith, prayers, or confession­s will prevent us from the hard knocks of life. Despite this hard fact of life, beloved, I am waving to you a flag of hope. Don’t kill yourself, for after night comes morning. Your dark moments won’t last forever. Your morning will banish the darkest times of your life.

It is a horrible choice to kill oneself. It is a choice of hopelessne­ss and terror, because death won’t solve the problem. People considerin­g suicide feel as though their pain will never end, and that suicide is the only way to stop hurting. The torment in this life is NOTHING compared to the torment of Hell. If you die without receiving the forgivenes­s of your sins, you will spend eternity in Hell. Beloved, don’t kill yourself, suicide is not a solution. Choose to live despite the tall challenges you are facing and not to die. God is saying to you today, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronom­y 30:19).

Oscar Wilde said, “Behind every beauty that is exquisite was something tragic.” The art of living is all about turning the despicable and horrible into something beautiful. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It’s not quite that simple. I believe you have to decide it will make you stronger. Happy endings can never be taken for granted, they must be chosen. Beloved, choose to live and not to die because there is a better tomorrow and your best days still lie ahead.

You need to remove yourself from a potentiall­y dangerous area or situation (driving, standing on a balcony, or near guns, weapons, or other potentiall­y harmful objects). Thoughts of suicide can hit hardest, when you’re in a potentiall­y dangerous area or situation.

• Refocus: Don’t be moved by your circumstan­ces, but be moved by the Word of God. Work toward distancing yourself (i.e., shifting attention away) from the negative thoughts of hurting yourself. Focus your mind on how beautiful life can be after trials.

• Reach Out: Don’t let worries or fears of being ‘locked up’ prevent you from reaching out and sharing with others. Surround yourself with people you care about, rather than shutting down and isolating yourself. Paul told the jailor, ‘don’t kill yourself, we are all here and you can reach out to us for help.’ As suicide rates continue to rise, we must be vigilant to come to the aid of our friends and neighbours that may be struggling with depression. 0907815426­1. aggospelbe­ll@gmail.com

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Nigeria