Perseverance and Suicide (Romans 4:18)

 

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed...(Romans 4:18)

Since I have a mental illness, it would be normal for me to advocate for mental health.  Unfortunately for me, I sometimes am passionate about it and take it to the other extreme of supreme importance.  Thus, my wife and I had an interesting discussion about suicide and Covid-19.  Yesterday, on my birthday of all day!  Romantic, n'est ce pas?  (This discussion took place because of the increased restrictions here in BC and Manitoba)

Now in order to minimize hate, I would say this.  I might not have been rational in my reasoning, but it helped us work things out.

Just in case you are wondering, I discovered that the rate of suicide was higher than the rate of death by Covid-19 cases. (lifesitenews.com)

My wife's defense was that suicide is a choice and I agreed to a certain point.  Covid is not a choice!  I agreed!

I said, 'up to a point' for this reason and it's this.  People who go through suicidal thoughts like I have been will understand this reasoning.  A suicide victim will get themselves into a corner and that corner is dangerous, so dangerous that it could lead to death.  My mission in life and your mission in life should be to keep yourself and others out of that deadly corner.  When I have suicidal thoughts, I feel the heat of that corner.  Stop, get out!

However there is a spiritual lesson here related to Abraham's faith in God when he had to believe and couldn't go on.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope

 believed and so became the father of many nations,

just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

                                                               (Romans 4:18)

Now, where can I make the connection?  Please allow me to.  We all find ourselves in some corner at one time or another.  My wife said that suicide is a choice and my answer came as a yes. But, for some people they have no longer a choice to the point of no return.  Then their only choice...

Now back to Abraham, he found himself in that corner of hopelessness.  Actually all the odds of having a child were gone.  Against all hope of having a child...and you against all hope of having anything work for you still hang on to that one hope.  That one spark of hope that will make a difference.  Hope is powerful.  As long as there is hope you can get out of that corner.  Against all hope, he believed.  That sit, from now on you could become many nations out of that one bit of hope.  Do you see it for yourself?  Hope is still there, you just have to do and see things different.  Abraham could now see it a child being born could bring a thousand and millions.  He could see the possibilities.  Suicide has two choices, to give up and to live which is believe and believe brings possibilities.   Like a drop of water creates waves, look at the possibilities.