Suicide and Despair

Lately, there seems to be a rash of suicides that has shocked our country. Well-known celebrities, who seem to have the world at their feet have experienced depression and despair and have taken their own lives. Some we have lost include Robin Williams, Kate Spade, Jonathan Brandis, Kurt Cobain, Alexander McQueen, Don Cornelius, Simone Battle, Owen Wilson, and Lee Thompson Young. Then there are those who accidently killed themselves through alcohol and drug abuse, such as Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston and her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, Prince, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and the list goes on. In addition, there is an increasing trend of mass shootings ending in suicide across the country.  

The map below shows the 2016 results of a report compiled by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention¹. The statistics are alarming. According to the report, 45,000 lives were lost to suicide in 2016, more than twice the number of homicides. Among ages 15-34, suicide is the second-leading cause of death². Much of the problem is due to alcohol and drug abuse. “The CDC has calculated that suicides from opioid overdoses nearly doubled between 1999 and 2014².”

As an educator for 23 years and more currently a counselor at a school for at-risk students, I have increasingly been involved with students who have considered killing themselves. Last year our district formally introduced a “safety plan” to address the increasing cases of depression and thoughts of suicide among our youth. We hear these incidents more frequently in the news daily. I have stopped watching the news. It greatly saddens me to hear stories of depression and despair and wasted lives.

There is a war intensifying in our world that is being overlooked. Satan has declared all out war, especially on our youth, that goes unnoticed. In Revelation 12, a war in heaven is described when the Archangel Michael victoriously led his angels against Satan and cast him out of heaven and into the earth. The Kingdom of Heaven rejoiced because the “accuser” has been conquered. He was conquered by the blood of Christ, who is able to save us and redeem us from Satan. However, a warning is given: “Woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you with great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” (Revelation 12:12). The battle is escalating, and we can see it in the news daily.  

Our society at large sees these social problems of suicides, mass shootings, and violence as an increase in mental health issues. Let us not deceive ourselves. This is a war between good and evil, an all-out confrontation between God and an angry Satan, who knows he does not have much time left. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). This war is between love and hatred. The devil intends to steal as many as he can from the loving arms of God. The devil uses our selfishness to drive others out of our lives. He uses loneliness to isolate us from God and those who love us. He uses depression to stir hatred of ourselves.  He uses drugs and alcohol to destroy any love left in us. Satan drives us to despair. This war affects our young people the most, and they have no defense. There is no defense in a Godless world. Those who have succumbed to suicide and violence live in a Godless world of their own making.

More and more each day, God is being removed from our society. He was removed from our schools when prayer was prohibited and from public places when the commandments were removed from the Oklahoma State Capitol. God was removed from our speech, when it became inappropriate to say we were on Christmas or Easter vacation. Now we take winter and spring breaks. Christians who believe that homosexuality is wrong have been labeled “haters,” and those who profess their Christian beliefs are mocked and ridiculed as narrow-minded and naïve. The German supermarket Lidl and Nestlé have removed the cross from the image of the Anastasis Church in Santorini on their labels so as “not to hurt sensibility of other religions.³”

Only the love of God can conquer evil. Depression causes us to fall into a state of self-preoccupation. It isolates us from others, especially from those we love and love us. It is a form of selfishness, which can lead to despair and hopelessness. Depression can only be staved off by coming out of the cycle of self-preoccupation by showing love to others. When we give love, we are giving our life purpose and meaning. Christ taught, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). The Greek word for blessed translated means “happy, having a peaceful soul.” Thus, acting in love and giving love is what makes us happy in life. The only hope we have is in Christ, who brings light into the darkness of our world and who gives us the ability to love others as He loves us. “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). A godless world has no hope, since there is no heaven or eternal life. A godless world does not know the love of God.

As the world darkens around us, it is up to Christians to be lights of the world through our love and good works. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). We are Christ’s ambassadors to the world. When God places opportunities in our paths, we must take up His banner and “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.  Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called” (1 Timothy 6:12-13).

For those who do not yet know the love of Christ, simply ask Christ to reveal Himself to you. Repent of your sins, of those times you did not show love toward others. Christ will respond, and you will have an opportunity to know Him personally. Ask Him to lead you to a church where you will grow as a Christian and thrive. Ask Christ to reveal His love to you. You will be blown away!  

If you know anyone who suffers from depression or has expressed thoughts of suicide, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number at 1-800-273-8255.

¹  https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/suicide/

²  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/06/07/u-s-suicide-rates-rise-sharply-across-the-country-new-report-shows/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e84131eabcba

³  https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/10/15/nestle-removes-christian-cross-greek-yogurt-packaging/

© 2018  Helen Kamenos  All rights reserved

http://www.helenkamenos.com/

Our True Selves

 

God created us to love. Our true natural selves were created pure, holy, with a deep desire to give of ourselves. We were created humble, desiring to put others first. We were created to be compassionate and kind, empathetic and merciful. Our true selves are honest, patient, courageous, with a respect for others. We were created to love God, who is the source of light, life and love. Deep down inside, we know we were made to love. We know this because when we experience genuine love for others, our whole beings are lifted up. Our hearts are filled. We experience joy! We know that we know it is right! Somewhere deep inside of ourselves, we know that we were meant to love. When someone loves us in return, we experience a fulfillment that transcends our ordinary existence. We feel complete. This is what God intended for us to experience every moment of our lives. 

However, God also gave us the gift of free will. We are the masters of our own destinies. What happens when we choose to act contrary to our true nature? Yes, that’s right. Our conscience kicks in. Because God loves us so much, He does not want us to experience pain and suffering, so He gave us a conscience to act as a warning when we contemplate actions that may cause us grief, sorrow and regret. What happens when we act on a temptation? What happens when we sin? Yep! Our conscience causes us pain and suffering, but not as much pain as the consequences of our sinful actions may cause us. 

Have you ever told a little lie, one that wouldn’t hurt anyone but benefitted you in some way? Maybe it was to cover up for something you did, which you knew was wrong. What happens? We end up compounding that little lie with a multitude of other lies just to cover up the first lie. Often, the lies spiral out of control. If our lie is uncovered, we become embarrassed or ashamed. We lose credibility. Others do not trust us. Have you ever become so angry that you said things you regretted? Have you ever done something to please yourself at the expense of another?  We have all experienced the consequences of sin. More serious sins have more profound consequences that may cause us greater pain and suffering.  

What happens when we continue to act in opposition to our true nature, contrary to our true selves? We lose ourselves. First, we experience the initial pangs of conscience. If we disregard these warnings, we experience regret, shame and guilt. If we ignore these responses, we may convince ourselves that our actions were justified. Our thinking becomes impaired and begins to deceive us. We dull the warning signals. Our conscience, God, is silenced. We slip farther and farther away from our true nature. We forget how to love God and love others. We lose the joy in life. Our peace is disturbed by conflicting desires, which do not fulfill us, do not make us complete. Eventually, we lose self-respect because deep down inside, we know that we know we are acting against our true nature. We suffer from the consequences of actions that are not in sync with our true selves. 

Our society is obsessed with building up self-esteem. We embark on new diets and exercise programs. We set goals for ourselves and busy ourselves in trying to accomplish them. We fill our calendars with things to do, and we take pride in achieving our goals. We seek the approval of others and are disappointed when others do not acknowledge our endeavors. If we cannot keep up with our to-do list, we become stressed. Slowly, we lose momentum, and our self-esteem erodes once again. Self-esteem is not nurtured by our accomplishments, but rather by the condition of our hearts. If our hearts are open, generous, and loving, we are at peace with ourselves.

Remembering Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross reminds us how much He loves us. Knowing how much God loves us strengthens our love for Him. When we love God, He fills us with His love in return. He fills us with Himself, the Holy Spirit, the source of love. When our hearts are filled with His love, we return to our natural selves, our true selves. We are no longer focused on our to-do list. We stop and live in the moment. We notice those around us, who God has placed in our lives, those who support and encourage us, as well as those who need our encouragement. Rather than focusing on our accomplishments, we concentrate on our relationships, our relationship with God, as well as with others. Building our relationship with Christ and with those God has place in our lives builds our self-esteem. Discovering the gifts God has bestowed upon us to share with others builds our self-esteem. Developing compassion and kindness, generosity and love brings us closer to our true selves.

According to King David in Psalms 139:14, each of us was uniquely, “fearfully and wonderfully made.” In this context, “fearfully” means “awesomely” made. In other words, we should be in awe or amazement because “it was you (God) who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…intricately woven…In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed” (Psalms 139:14-16). To Jeremiah, God said “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). God takes great care in creating each of us, and He knows us better than we know ourselves. Through Christ and the Holy Spirit, we are able to discover our true selves. The Holy Spirit will reveal to us our extraordinary gifts, our purpose in life, and He will guide our path. When we embrace our true selves, when we share our gifts and live out our purpose in life, we will experience joy and peace. In Christ, we are complete. Our self-esteem is not determined by how others see us. Our self-image is rooted in Christ, and only He can reveal to us our true nature, our true selves. 

© 2017  Helen Kamenos  All rights reserved

http://www.helenkamenos.com/

Brief Addendum to My Autobiography

In looking back on the last few years of my life, I realized that God had blessed me beyond what I could have imagined. My youthful dreams have all come true. I became a teacher, a principal, I earned my Master’s Degree, I now work with at-risk youth as a counselor, and amazingly, I wrote a book! I am humbled by the path He now has me traveling. My journey toward perfection has taken a few unexpected turns! In writing my book, God has revealed Himself to me in a way I never would have fathomed. My relationship with Him has deepened. Not only that, but now He has me writing a monthly newsletter to “defend the faith” and a blog! I am not sure what He has planned for me next, but I trust it will be amazing!

If you would like to visit my blog, go to: https://plus.google.com/116159014424445968003

Or visit my website at:  http://www.helenkamenos.com/

What Is Meant By God Is Holy? Part II

Imagine God in His radiant glory, so bright from goodness and love that we, in our corruptible flesh, cannot look upon Him. What kind of love is so brilliant and overwhelming? We cannot fully fathom God’s Holiness, just as we cannot fully fathom the depth of His love. Yet, God called us to Holiness. In Leviticus 20:26, God declared to the Israelites, “You shall be holy to me; for I the Lord am holy, and I have separated you from the other peoples to be mine.” In 1 Peter 1:15-17, Christians are also called to be Holy. “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” We are to separate ourselves from all sin. We are to always love God and love others. Christ tells us to “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). To love perfectly, we must be able to deny ourselves and let go of our egos and selfish desires. We must become humble and meek. We must take up our crosses and endure the suffering denial causes us, sacrificing our self-centeredness. With Christ at our side and the Holy Spirit within us, we are able to endure the trials and tribulations of this life. We follow Christ’s example. When we do, we experience true freedom, freedom to love selflessly. We are loosed from the bondage of sin, and we discover the joy of giving, the joy of divine love.  

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). God is thrice Holy to emphasize His infinite Holiness and because He is a triune God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is three, yet one in essence. The whole earth is filled with His glory because His creation, everything we see and experience with our senses, is a result of God’s divine love. We should stop and appreciate the amazing beauty, complexity, and awe-inspiring world God made for us. We should be thankful for the sparkling stars, the clouds interspersed with brilliant color, resplendent mountains, and the life-giving oceans, rivers and lakes. We should care for the variety of vegetation, flora and magnificent creatures, all living in a delicate balance, blessed by God. All in our world is interconnected and dependent on one another. We human beings are also interconnected and dependent on one another. It is God’s love that holds it all together. We do not always take the time to appreciate the splendor of God’s glory in creation, but when we do, we are able to experience God’s love and Holiness.

God is also Holy because He is different from us. God is Spirit. We are flesh. However, if we have faith in Christ and love God, He sends His Holy Spirit to live within us. That part of us is Holy. Yet, we do not fully understand the depth of the love God has placed within us. We do not comprehend the Holiness inside of us. This is because our flesh wars against our spirit. We become conflicted, when we are faced with temptation. We can access that part of us, the love inside of us, through the Holy Spirit. This is why Christ could proclaim, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). When we choose to live in the Holy Spirit and to walk with Him daily, we are setting ourselves apart from sin. We choose to deny ourselves, and instead, we choose to act in love. During those moments, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are able experience God’s Holiness. We are able to experience God’s divine love. 

©  2017 Helen Kamenos  All rights reserved

http://www.helenkamenos.com/