Don't Die Before You Die

Today was a horrible day for me! I have been questioning God about several things. I am struggling with a personal issue that has all but wiped me out. On top of that, two people I know, both in their early 40's, committed suicide this week. Just how much sadness is in people's lives this day and age? We all make mistakes. We all do things we wish we didn't do. Life doesn't come with instructions, and the best we can do is read God's Word and pray hard. But you know as well as I do that trying to find God's will and trying to understand why He allows some things to happen are two of the hardest things in our spiritual lives. We trust that God has everything under control. But that does not always convince us to be happy and to simply play off everything that happens as "just His will". Those two who committed suicide are dead. But how many of us are also dead, although we are still breathing?

We can't be happy all the time. Sadness is just a part of our fallen, sin-ridden world. But what can we do when we are trying to survive the sadness? How do we "make it" to happiness again? I guess if I knew the answer to that I could write a book and become rich and famous. All I can do is speak about how I survive those times. I give it all to God, and rely on His perfect strength daily, sometimes even hourly. I have always survived every single episode of sadness my entire life. And although what I am enduring right now personally is the absolute hardest trial I have ever faced, I will survive it too! God WILL NOT let me down! I just wish everybody else had the same kind of faith that I have in the Lord. I wish suicide would never rear its ugly head again in our world. But we must face it. Some people are very sad, and contemplate taking their lives all the time. As God's children, we need to ask Him to give us the wisdom to spot these people, and then share everything we can with them to head off a potential disaster. The last thing we need to ever do is downplay somebodys sadness. I know it is hard to cheer some people up when they are really depressed. But Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors. I am pretty sure He meant to love them, even when it means we have to put ourselves out for them. We must share each other's burdens. After all, God shares all of ours.

Philippians 2: 3-4 says, "Consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only at your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Father, oh Lord, why is there so much sorrow in our world? Please teach us to truly love one another. Teach us to share others burdens, just as You share our burdens. If there is anyone tonight on the verge of suicide, Lord please help them in the way only You can. In Jesus name, Amen.