Lies Suicide Will Tell You

There is an enemy among us. She has crept in with subtlety. Into our homes, into our schools, into our workplaces, and even into our churches. She has begun to tear away the very fabric of our society by devaluing the gift of life, itself. She has worked quietly and purposefully while we have looked the other way. She has filled the minds of our loved ones with lies as they go silently about their days. We must expose SUICIDE for the liar she is.

LIE #1: No One Loves You.

The Truth is there are a lot of people who love you. You have family members and friends who love you. You may not understand one another, or have an easy time communicating. Even if your relationships are on rocky ground because of misunderstandings or hurtful words and actions, that doesn’t diminish their love for you.

Furthermore, and most importantly, God loves you. The Creator of the universe was manifest in the flesh as the man, Jesus Christ. He was born, lived, suffered, died for your sins, and rose victorious because He loves you. Yes, He did it to offer all of humanity a way of salvation…but if there had been no other people to save, He would have done it just for you. He loves you that much.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

LIE #2: You Are All Alone.

The Truth is you have family, friends, church congregations, and a community that cares about you. There are people all around you that care how you feel, and want you to be okay. Many of them are people you have never met or gotten to know yet. It may be difficult and embarrassing, but please reach out to someone around you. If that person doesn’t take you seriously, reach out to another person. They might not be equipped to help you themselves, but they can point you to someone who can.

Even beyond all of these is Jesus. People will fail us, but God never will. Be filled with His Spirit as the scripture says, and you will truly never be alone.

“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:17-18)

LIE #3: They’ll Be Better Off Without You.

The Truth is suicide is the most hurtful thing you could ever do to your family, friends, church family and community. They would NEVER get over it. They would NEVER recover from losing you. They would think of their loss EVERY DAY for the rest of their lives. Even rare joyful days would leave them wondering how you might have enjoyed it. Your death would impose a life sentence of sorrow on those you love the most.

“But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:” (1 Corinthians 12:18-22)

LIE #4: Death Is The Only Way Out.

The Truth is Jesus has a plan for your life, and if you walk in His ways, He will guide you through your problems. That doesn’t mean life won’t be difficult or painful. It doesn’t mean that you won’t have to suffer repercussions for your actions. It doesn’t mean you won’t have to endure hardship. What it DOES mean is that you will never be alone, and if you will be attentive to God’s Word and Spirit, He will lead you the best path through your circumstances.

“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)

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

LIE #5: Death Is Like Falling Asleep.

The Truth is death is more like waking up. There is no long night of peaceful slumber after you die. There are no sweet dreams after death. Your body may rest in the ground, but your soul (the part of you that thinks, knows and is aware) awakes immediately to eternal reality.

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Hebrews 9:27)

LIE #6: Your body is yours.

The Truth is your body is on loan from God, its Creator. It is the very first thing He entrusted to your care, and He expects you keep it in good repair and use it for His glory.

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

LIE #7: You can finally have peace.

The Truth is there is no peace outside of God’s will. He created you to be filled with His Spirit, live according to His Word, and be beneficial to His Kingdom. Living for Jesus brings true peace.

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

LIE #8: Suicide Is Your Friend.

The Truth is Suicide is the enemy of your soul. It is of the devil. It comes only to steal, kill and destroy your mind, your body, your soul, your hope and your future. Living for Jesus brings life.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

LIE #9: God will forgive you.

The Truth is that God is a God of mercy, but He is also a God of judgment. His Word assures us that He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins if we repent. However, you cannot repent of suicide. Once it is done, it cannot be undone. Nor can you repent and ask the Lord to forgive you for what you are going to do. That is not true repentance, and will not be accepted as such by God.

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:38-29)

“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” (Acts 17:30)

LIE #10: Suicide Is Your Idea.

The Truth is suicide is a spirit. It is unholy. It roams the earth in search of hopeless people to seduce into following it into the lake of fire, which is its eternal judgement. This ungodly spirit cannot force you to do anything, but it uses the power of suggestion, lies and every negative emotion to persuade you into harming yourself. If you are having thoughts of suicide, I assure you, it is not your idea.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;” (1 Timothy 4:1-2)

LIE #11: You shouldn’t say anything.

The Truth is keeping you silent is the biggest deception of all. As long as you are silent, the lies suicide tells you are all you can hear.

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)

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*** I am not a counselor; nor am I a medical professional. I am simply someone who loves you, and wants God’s best for you. If you are toying with the idea of suicide, I beg you to reach out to someone.

!!!FOR HELP!!! Call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255                                   or follow this link to the SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE WEBSITE.

Follow this link to LOCATE A MINISTER who will pray with you..

Other choices include a Pastor, Counselor, Teacher, Coach, Friend or Family Member. There are people who care. Make them understand you are in trouble. Let them point you in the right direction.

Warm Regards, -Pat

As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter, and email me: Pat@PATVICK.COM.

Choosing To Live In The Face Of Terror On 9/11

Anyone who knows my husband and me very well, knows that in recent months we have ramped up our travels out of the country doing Missions work. Today, in light of the sixteenth anniversary of 9/11, I will answer the question that people have begun to ask me on a regular basis, “Aren’t you afraid to travel so far?”  The answer to that question is, “Yes, sometimes I am.”

FEAR ISN’T ALWAYS BAD
That being said, fear isn’t always a bad thing. It actually causes you to live your life on purpose. Fear is only bad when it paralyzes you from living. Healthy fear should cause you to keep your head up and your senses alert to make wise choices. It causes you to take inventory of your life, and make sure it is filled with worthwhile endeavors. Living fully for God, and working for His Kingdom, are definitely worth a calculated risk.

King David declared in Psalm 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”

DEATH IS UNAVOIDABLE
I have a newsflash for you: Everyone dies. We had just lost a close family member when I turned to my oldest son, looked him square in the eyes, and spoke these words. They washed over him the same way they just washed over you -thick, cold and sticky. I don’t regret saying them. I wanted him to know he only has one life, and it needs to be spent wisely.

THE TROUBLE WITH PLAYING IT SAFE
Here’s another newsflash for you: Living in certain safety doesn’t keep you from dying; It only keeps you from living. I choose to think of my life as currency. It’s going to be spent on something. That something might as well be eternal.

Living in certain safety doesn't keep you from dying; It only keeps you from living. Click To Tweet

NOT A LICENSE FOR FOOLISH LIVING
Healthy fear should cause you to move cautiously, not foolishly, forward. People that are running from God live foolishly. Taking crazy chances with your life is not using wisdom. Living strung out on whatever new and exciting high is just around the corner doesn’t bring glory to God. Get yourself under control and live with eternity in mind!

FEAR VERSUS TERROR
On September 11th, 2001, weak and foolish people attacked our country. They spent their lives in one swift payment to induce a state of terror upon their perceived enemies.

I’ll admit that in the wake of those events, I was panicked. Then I was numb. Then I was angry. After a while, I realized I wasn’t really living anymore. I was paralyzed by my fear…just like the terrorists wanted all along. It’s what they spent themselves for. One day I decided to send all that terror back for a refund. I refuse to give them what they paid for.

HONOR WHERE HONOR IS DUE
Who do you want to honor with your life? Terrorists? When you allow yourself to live in terror, that’s who gets the honor. Do you want to honor the victims? Our military? Our first responders? God? That won’t be done by hunkering down in a quivering puddle and refusing to live your life.

Are there more bad guys? Affirmative. Could something really bad happen again? Absolutely. Do bad things happen to good people? Unfortunately so.

When I’m tempted to allow my fear to paralyze me, I remind myself of the text that my friend in the Middle East sent me the night before I flew.

“Pat, I want to thank you for conquering your fear and getting on that plane…”

Because we got on that plane in the face of our fear, thirty-three people received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost for the first time. Most, if not all, of those thirty-three people have now been baptized in Jesus’ name for the remission of their sins. Thirty-three faces that I will see in Heaven when my life is spent.

Lest you think I am promoting self, and are tempted to say, “God could have done that without you,”…Yes, but He chooses to use people.

So, today, in light of the sixteenth anniversary of 9/11, I will not cower and give place to terror. Instead, I choose to live fully and on purpose for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom.

I will leave you with one of my very favorite quotes:

Safety is not in the absence of danger, but in the presence of the Lord.” -Unknown

Warm Regards, -Pat

As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter, and email me: Pat@PATVICK.COM