food for thought for those contemplating suicide

[gracerules2008]

For those of you out there who are contemplating ending your lives I would like to say that I have struggled with suicidal thoughts from time to time. I can't relate to every individual circumstance since everyone is going through different trials and tribulations.

 

You feel like you have nothing to look forward to. You may feel an emptiness inside. You may be feeling like all is vanity after your girlfriend/boyfriend dumped you.

 

What I'm about to say is not meant to tell others what to believe or what not to believe but to merely share my own perspective on things.

 

I believe God has put us here for a purpose. I do not claim to know what that purpose is because I suspect it is different for every individual. Having said all of that I do not believe God needs your help to take you out of this world. He'll take you out when He's ready for you. You are valuable to Him and unique.

 

God loves everyone unconditionally. Having said all of that I do not believe that anyone who has already committed suicide goes to hell. I think God understands what goes on in the human mind and heart better than anyone else and He knows how frustrating this life can be.

 

I believe that God Himself experienced life as a human being. He came to earth in human form to be the Savior of the world. His name is Jesus Christ. He died to take away the sin of the world. He was buried & rose again 3 days later to give eternal life to all people. His resurrection defeated death for all people. He succeeded in His mission to save the world from sin & death. All are saved.

 

Does gracerules2008 commit sins? You bet I do. I sin just as much as everyone else does if not more. I probably commit more sins everyday than the average person I come in contact with. I am a masturbation addict. I have perverted sexual fantasizes. I've even fantasized about having sex with God.

 

I overeat and thereforee I am slightly overweight. I have a little bit of a stomach sticking out. I lie habitually. I have outbursts of anger. I am too judgmental of others. The good news is that God is not counting anyone's sins against them.

 

thereforee everyone is going to heaven and to eternal peace with God. In fact we're all seated in heaven now. I believe that regardless of a person's lifestyle or religious beliefs or political views God sees all of us the same. We share His DNA and we are one with Him. He could never deny us otherwise He would be denying Himself.

 

Folks you are precious and holy and perfect and complete in the eyes of God. Everyone is beautifully made in God's image. I believe this is the gospel and that the gospel means "good news." Those of us who believe this good news want to share it with others.

 

It's called the ministry of reconciliation. That is that God was in Christ reconciling all things into Himself- whether things on earth or things in heaven or things under the earth. God is love! His love will draw everyone to Himself like an invisible magnet.

 

Preaching the gospel of grace & peace of Jesus Christ is NOT about pointing out your faults or telling you what is wrong with you. On the contrary preaching the gospel is a revelation about what is RIGHT with you!

 

Yes we're going to have trials and tribulations in this life but at the end of the day we're still loved and accepted by God no matter what. I don't believe God ever promised us an easy existence on this earth.

 

If you are feeling suicidal then pray, call a friend, call a preacher, call the suicide hotline, call somebody, check yourself into a mental hospital. Don't worry they will let you out when you want to if you voluntarily check yourself in.

 

Remember that there is none like you. There will never be another you in this life if you commit suicide. It's important to be who you are so that others are encouraged to be who they are too.

 

In closing I want to mention that I did lose an older brother to suicide 11 years ago. He was a very humble man. I'll never forget the values he stood for. It is my hope to be reunited with him in heaven someday. I miss him a lot.

[arrowbee]

...Check yourself into a mental hospital. Don't worry they will let you out when you want to if you voluntarily check yourself in.

 

Great post but I would like to point out that in certain jurisdictions (Canada for example) this is NOT always the case.

[gracerules2008]

Great post but I would like to point out that in certain jurisdictions (Canada for example) this is NOT always the case.

 

Oh I didn't know that about canada. I mistakingly assumed that it's the same everywhere as it is in the USA.

[MorningBell]

Why would suicide make it any less 'your time to go' than being murdered or, say, run over by a herd of buffalo? How would it be any fundamentally less of God's plan than any other methodology of death? ESPECIALLY a herd of buffalo.

[CynicalGuitarist]

Why would suicide make it any less 'your time to go' than being murdered or, say, run over by a herd of buffalo? How would it be any fundamentally less of God's plan than any other methodology of death? ESPECIALLY a herd of buffalo.

 

Good question, however in this case, I see "g-d" as no different from friends and family guilt-tripping existentially broken people into moping around half-dead who have a continuous "gotta stay alive for them, even if it's something I really don't want to do" slump in their backs and a "...spare me" look in their eyes. I don't endorse suicide at all, but I believe if someone wants to kill themselves, it's THEIR life, and they should be able to do what they want with it. Sure, suicide is "selfish" but isn't almost everything we do selfish in one way or another?

 

I was planning on writing a whole bunch on how g-d hasn't dare helped me with any of my existential or depressive or even ADHD or money problems, and say that people who think all life has a "purpose" are about as mislead as people who think life is somehow "fair", but I'll spare you all my hellish, infidelic rants.

 

Actually, probably the best song to help me through existential depression (where my suicidal thoughts frequently come from) is "The Patient" by Tool. It helped me much better than "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera.

[gracerules2008]

Well from a perspective of how our actions effect the lives of people around us I would have to say that if you are married with children then no it's not your life anymore. thereforee committing suicide will devastate your spouse and children that you leave behind. If I get my girlfriend pregnant then I have an obligation to marry her and support our kids. I no longer have the option to just check out of this world.

 

Now if you are single and don't have any responsibilities to family or friends then I can understand where you are coming from about suicide being a personal decision. Even then you may never know how your suicide is going to effect someone else's life like.

 

Yes there are certain decisions that effect others. I most say that my brother's death has effected my life. I'm not the same person anymore. I used to be really ambitious about my life as far as career goals and getting married. Now it doesn't really matter.

 

I pray for God to take me out of this world but He hasn't answered that prayer yet. He still has me here for a reason. It wasn't our choice to come into this world and it's not really our choice when we leave this world either. So no it's not just about you and your life.

 

I'm not married nor do I have kids but I am the only son my parents have left. They are already going through hell enough as it is over my brother's death. Since I see how they are reacting to my brother's death then I have no justification whatsoever to commit suicide. I would be without excuse in their eyes.

 

In fact they would probably resent me and not give me the same respect at my funereal as they did at my brother's funereal.

 

God knows how they would handle this existence if I took matters into my own hands and followed in my brother's footsteps. They would have to live with the reality of losing both their kids.

 

It's not the natural order of things. Children are suppose to bury their parents not vice versa. Now if I waited until after both of my parents died of old age and I was still single at that time then I may have reason to believe that "It's my life and I can do what I want" and commit suicide.

 

I guess the whole point of my OP isn't whether or not people have a right to do what they want with their lives. The point I'm making is that if anyone here feels like a loser or feels like society would be better off without them or they feel like they are taking up space then these feelings are all lies.

 

God doesn't think you are a waste of space in the universe. He doesn't need your help to take you out if He wanted you out. Often times these feelings of unworthiness come when a person is suicidal. At least it does for me from time to time.

 

I have this illusion that the world would finally become a utopia existence for everyone else if I checked out of here. That's how I feel but it's not true.

[CynicalGuitarist]

I didn't advocate suicide...how unbelievably arrogant of you. I suggested the argument that God's will is a force in the decision doesn't hold up. The admin must have no legitimate desire to actually discuss the issues... just put forth a pleasant looking site. Sick. Just sick.

 

They just happen to be the admin, so what they say, goes; even if you weren't advocating suicide. No matter what you say, someone, inevitably, is gonna get the wrong idea about it. Thus, even though it sucks, I gotta be careful with what I say here (even though I cuss about as much as your average sailor in real life). Plus, in this society, suicide is likened to the idea of spending an hour looking at pictures of children in the middle east (talk about people g-d has abandoned) harmed by radiation and cluster bombs... it exists, it's ugly, but most people are generally uncomfortable with talking about it or looking at those pictures themselves.

 

That's just how life is.

[kuhl282000]

Very Very Caring .....thanks....I struggle with it myself now all of a sudden form time to time ......and I never even considered it in my past ....

 

Times are tough now .....I need to get up and going again

[gracerules2008]

Very Very Caring .....thanks....I struggle with it myself now all of a sudden form time to time ......and I never even considered it in my past ....

 

Times are tough now .....I need to get up and going again

 

Hang in there. This life we live is very short. We're only here for 120 years at the most. That's very very short compared to the way people used to live in the old testament times. Adam lived 930 years.

 

As you get older time seems to fly by much faster. At least that's been the case in my experience. For me it helps to look at my life from an eternal perspective.

 

I truly believe that heaven is waiting for everybody beyond the grave. Heaven is not something we earn from doing good works. It is God's gift to all people. He causes the sun to shine on the just & unjust. He also sends the rain on the just and unjust.

 

Everyone who has died before us has gone home to be with Jesus in heaven. Our deceased loved ones are all waiting for us.

 

Sometimes when I'm going through a trial I would ask "why me God?" That is a pretty arrogant attitude for me to have. I should be asking God "why not me?" What makes me think I'm so special that I should be exempt from trials and tribulations that everybody else goes through? The answer is I'm nobody special.

 

I have to endure hardship like everyone else on this planet. It's different forms for different people. It's just part of life here. It's not God punishing anyone nor is it the devil attacking anyone.

 

I used to pray for God to change my circumstances. Now I pray for God to change me on the inside so that I may have a content & thankful attitude in the midst of my trials because someone else is always suffering worse than I am.