When we can't take the pain anymore, where do we go and what do we do? The focus of the news recently has been the suicide of a young college student. I understand better than most the want to end life...I've BEEN there; many of us have! We cannot lay the blame on others! The events that surround the pain may be horrific, but the want to end one's life comes from utter desperation, feeling unloved and not knowing what to do or where to turn!
We have all had "bullies" in our lives at one time or another. We strive for acceptance in our lives from the time we learned to crawl. Some people do not become the "targets" of the bully until they are older and more "seasoned". Some of us were taunted and teased from as far back as we can remember. On Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid, love and belonging falls in the middle, with self-actualization at the top and physiological needs at the base. His study was not conducted with the "average" human in mind - he conducted his study with the top 1% of college students back in 1954 (before most of us were born).
We, as humans, are responsible for our own actions. We draw our strength from our friends and family, we trust them, we love them. But we were not the first or the only ones to be "mocked". History and the Bible teach us that MANY were mocked, made fun of, tortured and killed for their beliefs and ostracized by society. Many of us have overcome the callousness of others and become husbands, wives, parents, grandparents, educators, healers, experts in our fields and more. We all have "skeletons" in our closets. We've all done and said things we wish we hadn't and many of us will regret some of those things until we die.
The single most important thing to remember is that we have a choice today! We have a God who loves us, forgives us, blesses us and provides for us. Our strength comes from him! We are all created in his image (Gen 1:27). Without his presence in our lives, we become susceptible to the enemy. Our remorse and regret over the choices and decisions we make in life are not to be taken lightly. Each of us has our own level of tolerance. We can only take so much until we "snap". Fortunately for us, God's tolerance of us is greater than some of us are willing to admit. His forgiveness of our sins goes far beyond what the human mind is capable of understanding. We start by learning to forgive ourselves, love ourselves and walk forward in the knowledge and belief that God has given us each a life worth living and a soul worth dying for!
Although some people may laugh at you today, you can come to know the full measure of love in Jesus by remembering that they laughed at him as well, and he reigns on high waiting for you!
Reposted from 10/2009
