Dealing With Aloneness

Recently I read an excellent article on suicide and its causes in the developed world. The article gave three reasons why a person could and would commit suicide. Kelly Boggs, editor of the Baptist Message (newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention) wrote the article based on a number of studies. You can read the article and links to the studies behind it by clicking here.

http://www.bpnews.net/printerfriendly.asp?ID=40431

Suicide is at epidemic proportions. Not even traffic accidents cause more deaths than suicide. In the parish (county) where I live churches and authorities are struggling to find ways to help and to prevent suicide. Suicide is extremely complicated and complex.

This article is about two self views which seem to allow a person to commit suicide. I want to write about how the gospel can help with these self views. We may all suffer from time to time by wrongly looking at ourselves in these ways.

The first view is that I am alone and no one cares. Kelly Boggs quoted from a suicide note left on the Golden Gate Bridge. It read: “I’m walking to the Golden Gate Bridge. If one person smiles at me on the way, I will not jump.” The writer of the note jumped.

The first condition necessary for a person to take his own life is to believe she or he is alone and no one cares.

While society in general has a responsibility to help, so does the church. In fact, the church is well equipped to help in this area.

In order for the church to help two things must happen. First, we must accept help and second, we must give help.

If you are not connected to a church and the small groups of the church, do this without delay. Do it to receive help for yourself and so that you can help others. God’s love for everyone is vitally important to know.

The second view is I am a burden to other people. Recently, a long time pastor friend committed suicide. He was convinced everyone else–particularly his family–would be better off without him.

We obviously cannot prevent these feelings, but we can do our best to help people know of their importance to God and the people around us. Nothing shows my significance like the gift of Jesus to die for my sins. The church is uniquely equipped to help people understand their significance in Christ Jesus.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Kelly Boggs ended his article saying we can’t do everything, but we can help one.

May we do so.

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2 Responses

  1. The older I get the more I’m convinced that what we all need more than anything is love. We should show the love of Christ to everyone. Which is sometimes easier said than done. Not many days go by that I don’t think if only people were kinder to each other, showed more compassion to one another, and encouraged each other more.

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