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Getting out of depression and the trap of suicidal thoughts
Time and again, through the news media online and in print, I have come to know about the death of a famous actor or actress due to suicide. Let me tell you that nothing is good about it. It’s a bad thing for a person who commits suicide. Because they go to hell and are damned for all eternity. As they have committed murder (against themselves) but didn’t repent of it, so it’s not possible for them to repent once dead. This why anyone who wants to go to heaven must totally avoid suicide. Suicide is of the devil and the Bible doesn’t condone it.
Suicide has at times let it mark on the grieving relatives of the person who took his life. They have lots of anxiety and plus have a tough time finding answers. It affects friends too. About a few years ago a non-Christian friend of mine too killed himself due to depression. I felt bad that all he had to do was tell me and I would have stopped him from taking such a drastic step by counseling him well. However he didn’t. So, I had to spend time in prayer too, so that I could come to terms with his death.
People with depression often try to show a ‘happy’ face to others. This doesn’t actually help them. A person who has suicidal tendencies must speak up to who can help out. Staying silent won’t make things better. Getting more things in life doesn’t cut off depression every time.
A bitter truth is that even abundance of luxuries and fame is not a safeguard against suicide. Lot’s of rock musicians committed suicide even before their reached their forties. Judas got money by betraying Jesus but what did he do after that? He committed suicide instead of going in for genuine repentance. Hitler too was not willing to face the consequences of his crimes and so it’s said that he killed himself. He had lots of riches and technology at his disposal but that didn’t help him. The worst people who use suicide are suicide bomber terrorists. Obviously they won’t go to heaven either because they have killed innocents.
This vile and detestable crime of suicide must never be committed by any person and more so by him who believes in Christ as his true hope. If you go through the Bible, there is no person, prophet nor saint who committed suicide and then went to heaven. None, absolutely.
Rarely does anyone commit suicide on the spur of the moment. This happens due to the person getting befuddled by suicidal thoughts. For about 2 years I used to interact with people who were kept on a suicide watch and I noticed that these people get depressed easily. A suicidal gentleman told me to be careful of how I speak to him as he was under suicide watch. I was amused at his request but decided to speak only wisely and kindly to him as a matter of courtesy.
Such people are not be laughed at nor thought of as lesser beings. There may be genuine reasons as to why they get depressed. Maybe they lost a loved one or were cheated in a cruel way. Some may have gone through a vicious divorce or some may have had drugs. I’ve heard that chemical imbalances too are responsible. In certain cases we just don’t know why. So we must not provoke such people any more to depression but rather be kind to them. If you can’t be kind then avoid speaking to them at least. Abatement to suicide is treated as a crime in most countries and is taken very seriously by the police.
There is no need to mock people who commit suicide. You won’t get them back from the grave. No need to insult their families for the same. If you suspect foul play then report it to the police with due evidence but don’t spread rumors.
Now if you are facing depression then don’t ignore it. Don’t feed it with wrong thoughts, wrong persons and wrong situations. Take down the roots of it not just the outward expressions of it. Take courage and consolation in the Lord. Surrender your thoughts to God. Resist all the thoughts of depression, anxiety and suicide. Do it in the name of Jesus. Remember that the Lord God loves. Christ cares for you at all times. So pour out your heart to God.
You can also speak to a professional as per your situation. A good preacher of the word will show you how to overcome bad thoughts spiritually. I don’t rule out medical help either. Even competent mental health-care professionals can help in such cases.
Sometimes others need help from us. If others are showing depressive behaviors which point toward the suicidal, then help them out. If you can’t help then lead them to others who actually can. A warning; if you yourself are facing thoughts of death to yourself then avoid counseling another suicidal person. It could be tough on both of you. So avoid it by all means and but inform someone who can actually help. You are still being a responsible person though you can’t directly help. Be happy with that.
Here’s a few Scripture verses are of good help in tackling depression and deadly thoughts:
- Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. (Proverbs 12:25)
- So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
- The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. (Isaiah 50:4)
- But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. (Psalm 3:3)
- If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. (Psalm 37:23-24)
- I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. (Psalm 40:1-3)
- Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:11)
- Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails; Do not hide Your face from me, Or I will become like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear Your loving kindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; I take refuge in You (Psalm 143:7-9)
- “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
- Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:6-11)
- Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
- Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)
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Jesus the healer of emotions and spirit
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. (Psalm 31:9-10)
The above Psalm verses paint a picture of a person who is not just affected in body but also in soul. We are well aware that Jesus healed people of their physical infirmities. What about the soul and spirit being healed by Jesus? This is what the Holy Scriptures speak about Jesus being able to heal your emotions and spirit. Lets read the following:
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3)
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15)
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound (Isaiah 61:1)
If you are feeling hopeless, anxious, depressed, fearful, humiliated, insignificant, despondent or just about anything else negative then I want to remind you that the Lord God who made the human soul and spirit is completely capable of healing them. So what is needed from you to receive healing for your emotions and spirit is to believe that Jesus Christ wants to heal you.
You may wonder what is the basis for you to receive your healing. Its simple, its your faith in Jesus Christ and that you deserve your healing. People end up being a block to themselves because they continually consider themselves unworthy. This is mainly because of being conscious of their shortcomings before the law.
Maybe thoughts of your sin haunt you and are a hindrance to you. Come to Jesus and surrender your sin issues to the Lord. Remember when Jesus shed his blood by dying on the cross he took upon himself all of your sins. Guilt comes due to sin. As your sin is dealt with by the Lord’s finished work on the cross then the power of guilt is taken away. I want to just say this to you, ‘there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)’ so don’t take a guilt trip (click here for a message on this).
Your healing comes by the atonement accomplished by Jesus on the cross for you. Here will of God was fulfilled to break all the barriers to your salvation. Salvation not just in terms of resurrection of the body but also of mind and spirit.
Medicines and psychology are used to help people recover emotionally. Some recover taking a while. Others need frequent therapy and get addicted to antidepressants. Some give up on valid medications and wrongly resort to alcohol.
We must remember that with God all things are possible, even those which are impossible to man. Here’s how to receive healing of your emotions and spirit:
Desire to be set free
Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. (Psalm 145:19)
Pay attention to the Holy Scriptures
My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. (Proverbs 4:20-22)
And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:19-21)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Have faith for your healing
And Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease. (Mark 5:34)
And Jesus did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13:58)
And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. (Acts 3:16)
Faith then comes by hearing; and hearing by the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)
Seek the loving face of Christ
My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. (Psalm 25:15)
You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” (Psalm 27:8)
Give the Lord your pains and worries
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. (Psalm 55:22)
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
Wait upon the Lord
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:14)
Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. (Psalm 33:20)
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
Avoid unhelpful and worldly thoughts
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23)
The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 1 Peter 1:14
Forgive yourself and those who hurt you
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:59-60)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32
Pray that you get healed
Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you (Exodus 23:25)
O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. (Psalm 30:2)
I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. (Psalm 142:2)
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)
You can also pray for/with others for healing
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:14-16)
Give thanks to the Lord for your healing
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! (1 Chronicles 16:34)
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Psalm 100:4)
Confide in the Holy Spirit always!
But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)
Likewise the Spirit also helps our weakness: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26)
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing; that you may abound in hope, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
Now the Lord is a Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
You may pray spontaneously or try this Suggested Prayer: O God I come to you in the name of your Son Jesus with the desire to be set free from all my emotional and spiritual wounds, especially N (N-name your specific problem) which has made me feel very low. I have the highest regard for your Holy Word and choose to abide by it. I believe that you are fully capable of healing me and that you want to set me free. I seek your face O Lord Jesus, which brings sure and everlasting hope. I surrender to you every though of my mind and spirit that is hurting me because you care for me. I wait upon you to strengthen me deep within. With faith in your Holy word, I reject all the falsehood and negativity of the world. As you forgave others even as you were dying on the Cross, so do I follow in your example and forgive myself and all others whoever hurt me in whatsoever way, whether they were aware of it or not. So heal me O Lord as I your child come to your throne of grace in the time of need. I also remember and pray for N (N-name them if they come to your mind) that he/she may become emotionally and spiritually restored. I give thanks to the Lord God for your healing grace. My earnest wish now that the Holy Spirit reminds of everything of Jesus, including the liberty that comes from Christ. Dear Holy Spirit intercede for me and for my healing. Amen and amen.
My thoughts on writing this post: Normally I don’t convey my thoughts on why I write a post but I felt the need to do so this time. I realize that within the church there are many people who carry wounds which are invisible. These are emotional and spiritual wounds. They don’t know what to do about it. Some of them have carried these hurts right from childhood into adulthood. Out of fear of being called weak they don’t know whom in the church to turn to pray for their healing. Maybe they tried attending church, spending time in prayer and fasting etc to get healed but still don’t feel any healing due to not being fully aware of the will of God. I personally believe that if you understand the principles of receiving healing of your mind, body and spirit through Jesus Christ, there is nothing to stop you from being healed. May the Holy Spirit who bring comfort, intercede for you that you experience the fullness of joy, hope and peace in Jesus. Amen.
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