A reminder for
today
For we through
the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. (Galatians 5:5)
There is always hope. I believe there is always hope,
because our hope is not in flesh and blood, our hope is in Jesus Christ. I am
looking at suicide statistics in the US and South Africa and in the US there is
on average 121 suicides a day. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in
the US. Men die by suicide 3.5x more often than women. An increasing
number of children, some as young as six, are either attempting or committing
suicide in South Africa. This is just one of the shock findings from research
into South African suicide trends. At least one suicide is committed every hour
in South Africa, and 20 more unsuccessful attempts are made in the same time
span. Suicide has risen 48 percent over the past 10 years in South Africa, and
one third of all non-fatal attempts were recorded among children.
Now, this is reason to be concerned. According to Alex
Lickerman M.D. these are the six main reasons people commit suicide. 1 - They're depressed. This is without question the most common
reason people commit suicide. Severe depression is always accompanied by a pervasive sense of suffering as well as the
belief that escape from it is hopeless. 2 - They're psychotic. Malevolent inner
voices often command self-destruction for unintelligible reasons. 3 - They're
impulsive. Often related to drugs and alcohol, some people become maudlin and
impulsively attempt to end their own lives. 4 - They're crying out for help, and don't know how else to get
it. These people don't usually want to die but do want to alert those around
them that something is seriously wrong.
5 - They have a philosophical desire to
die. The decision to commit suicide for some is based on a reasoned
decision, often motivated by the presence of a painful terminal illness from
which little to no hope of reprieve exists.
6 - They've made a mistake. This
is a recent, tragic phenomenon in which typically young people flirt with
oxygen deprivation for the high it brings and simply go too far.
We know that it is the enemy at work and these lost souls is
desperately in need of hope. The only hope that overcomes all suicidal attempts
is the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Life is not easy and the Lord made it
clear that we will have hard times, but it is so important that we share our
hope with other before it is too late. Do not let the enemy steal another innocent
life, let us share the glory and grace we have in Jesus and stop suicides. Personally,
I have lost two family members to suicide in the last two years. We need to
speak and call. We need to stop liking on facebook and start talking to people.
We must turn back to the old ways where we still spoke to people and took time
to listen. A payer for a broken soul can
bring life back to them and turn them around. Fight with me against the enemy
as we take him on in prayers.
Lord, use us to reach the broken. Use us to bring your good
news to the lost. Let us stop the enemy from stealing innocent lives. In the
name of Jesus. The most powerful name in the universe.
Have an awesome day, dear friend of Jesus.
Cheers