No, I do not want Christians to kill themselves.
But have you ever noticed that Jesus, Paul, Peter, nearly all of the early Christians, and most of the great Christians throughout history would be considered “suicidal”?
No, it is not that they were depressed about life, or were thinking of killing themselves.
Instead, they risked their lives to love and serve others. And when the threat of death reared its head before them, they rushed head-long into it.
The Gospels tell us that Jesus headed resolutely toward Jerusalem, knowing that He would be arrested and crucified. Paul also, was warned repeatedly against going to Jerusalem, but he went anyway. Peter and the other apostles faced imprisonment, torture, and even death in their task of taking Jesus to the ends of the earth.
They did not live safely. They took risks which would be described today as “having a death wish.”
Today, in the United States, we plan and prepare and try to do everything to keep ourselves and our children safe. But maybe it is we are are living suicidally, killing our spirits and our souls in an effort to avoid sickness, pain, and death.
So what are you going to risk? Life and limb, or your bank account and health?
I’ve risked my reputation, my career and everything BUT my life because I have children. I understand 100% what Paul spoke about when he said if would be better if you were single.
Yes, Anthony, you have. You have a great wife and kids too, and family often opens up great doors of opportunity.
Maybe that’s why God has kept me single. I almost am not just ready to die though, I want to die. I don’t like it here. All the wealth where I am gives false security and no one feels they even need the Gospel. I’m mentally “disabled” in ways so I don’t speak out loud much, so I can’t find a way to me a missionary either. It’s incredibly frustrating. Spirit is willing, flesh is stuck in a room in isolation on the internet. God has crushed me, and I’m glad He has in many ways, I just need purpose and direction from His Spirit. I’m so selfish though from years of doctors and all the focus being on trying to fix ME. I’ll go be burnt at the stake right now no problem for Jesus. But I’m too timid to look a person in the eye and talk about Jesus, even other Christians. Autism is very, very, very frustrating. I feel like I’m sinning, but I just can’t speak at all about anything unless it’s around people I’m very comfortable with on a topic I understand well, and medication issues aren’t there. I’m simply a burden. I have this passion for the lost, but can’t do anything about it. And feel like not many others even care. 15,000 children are dying every single day and I choose to buy things for myself that I don’t need when $10 could feed a lot of people. $1,200 to build a well for an entire village. God have mercy on me. He keeps revealing more and more sin and Christ is my only hope.
Thank u for your nice comments. Did u ever watvh “Edge of the Spear”? It was about a missionary who was killed in front of his family by head hunters in Brazil. I pray for those missionaries who are risking life and limb. (I’ve always wanted to use that expression!), or even just convenience wit their family in tow.
I think I did see Edge of the Spear. It sounds familiar. Yes, many missionaries are facing many trials and dangers for the cause of Christ.
My pastor friend from Long Island just became a missionary w/ the Assemblies of God in the Phillipines..but he’s not risking life and limb.
Some do, some don’t. A friend of mine worked in Brazil where they “battled” poisonous snakes every day, and they also lived in a village with lots of gang warfare, and frequently huddled under a table as bullets whizzed through the air overhead.
Wow! Like I told you, it took around 7-8 years to be a missionary in the assemblies of god, unless you new people, but you had to be an associate w/ another missionary first. I just wanted to go to Zambia on my own, but funds prevented me….
Funds are always the problem, right?
Wouldn’t life be easier if we all got a $1 million to start off with? Ha!
Jeremy this is post I made on one of the LinkedIn Groups a year ago that I think is relevant
Risk vs. Responsibility
A few weeks ago I was at the local Costco
and on the way out I noticed a beautiful new Kawasaki Ninja. For a
moment I remembered my younger days (any male child making it to 20
proves God’s existence) and began to calculate that I could probably pay
for the motorcycle in less than a year with the money I would save on
gas. As I was leaving, I asked Gordon who was working at the door, ‘Hey
Gordon, do you think I would see Jesus any quicker if I bought that
Ninja?’ He replied, ‘I think you might see him tonight. We had a good
laugh, and I returned to my responsibility track of being a husband and
father of three teenage girls.
My middle daughter who will soon turn sixteen is heading off the Mexico
this summer on her second mission trip. She probably doesn’t encourage
her mother much when she replies to her mother’s worries, ‘What do I
have to worry about Mom? If I die, I just get to see Jesus sooner.’ I’m
proud of her because she understands what many of our brothers and
sisters understand who live in dangerous situations daily. So I chose
not to buy the Ninja, but I choose to embrace the risk that comes from
seeking to know Christ and reflecting Him. ‘To live is Christ and to die
is to gain.’
May 11, 2012
I love that! Great reminder. It is so easy to get caught up in the wants and desires of life, that we forget the people whom God has placed in our lives to love and serve. Especially our wives and children.