Ridgell's Originals

 What do you think about euthanasia?  Sitting with a friend on hospice, watching him struggle, talking about Jesus.  Then he asked that question.  

It was still on my mind that night in our Jesus journey class.  And it was at the very end of class when one of our newer Christians asked... is suicide a sin?  It was not an idle question, it was a legitimate question from someone wrestling with a lot of life issues.  

Two conversations in one day about euthanasia and suicide.  One private, one public.  Hard subjects that the church does not always address.  But we need to.  Because even in a class of fifty people, at least 10% of them had lost someone to suicide.  And there were more than one present who had wrestled with it in their own life.  

So here are a few of my thoughts about Jesus and suicide.  And choosing life.  Thoughts I shared with people I love.  God's people.

Suicide/euthanasia is sin.  I believe life is sacred to God.  He created it.  He controls it.  Murder, homicide, suicide, abortion, euthanasia take life.  As a Christian, we protect and honor life.  

Christians sometimes lose focus, get overwhelmed, and end up doing things they never intended to do.  Violence, theft, abuse, take life -- even their own.  Suicide is different in terms of finality and consequences but I don't believe it to be unforgivable.  

We Christians live under the umbrella of God's grace and the blood of Jesus.  A horrible decision, a sinful decision does not invalidate God's grace in our lives.  His blood cleanses us from all sin.  Read I John.

Don't rob God of the purpose He has for you.  God uses us in our weaknesses, in our illness, in our battles.  Suicide stops the purposes God has for your life.

Life is hard.  Satan is real.  The enemy wants to destroy us.  

God is life.  Heaven is real.  We have Kingdom business to do in this world.

Depression, guilt, and shame can lead to really bad decisions, even for faithful Christians.  

Get help.  Pray.  Read your Bible.  Talk to your spiritual family.  Get professional help if needed. Find someone that needs help and help them.    

In that same class were two people that just came thru a hard time.  They survived because they did these things.  Hard things.  But they came thru it.

As a church family, we have to talk about these things. 

Because they are real issues when you live for Jesus in a fallen world. 

# posted by Steve @ 6:03 AM