In Part 1, I discussed how the love of God is enough to keep a person alive by daily providing a reason to live.
Sometimes however, we also need the commands of a stern Father to keep us from doing the unthinkable. When a person feels like there is nothing left to live for, the commandments of God serve as a protective barrier against evil. The commandment, “Thou shalt not kill” (Ex 20:13) resonates down through the ages to us and in this day and age, is a lifesaver to a person who is so deep in depression that he cannot feel God’s love. Knowing God and His royal Law could mean the difference between life and death. The Christian has a distinct advantage over the average person when it comes to dealing with depression and the suicidal tendencies it sometimes creates in the heart and mind of man. While we may shut out God’s love, we cannot silence His commandments!
I believe that the commandment not to kill was not just intended to prevent us from murdering others, but also to protect ourselves. Sometimes, a person’s worst enemy is himself and this is especially true for those locked in the solitary deserts of depression.
When a Christian feels like giving up on life, he has not only God’s love but also His commandments to help him out of the icy grip of depression and death. Killing yourself will not solve any problems, but it will mean that you have disobeyed God and will face the consequences in judgement. Just the thought of not having a place in God’s kingdom is enough to bring stability to a troubled mind. Being separated from God is no joke; it was the one thing our Lord feared as evidenced by His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.
However, in order for you to experience the protective, keeping power of God’s Law as well as His love, you must determine why you want to be in His eternal kingdom. This means asking a question which may prove difficult for some. Are you only following Jesus so that you can one day wear a crown or walk on streets of gold and a sea of glass? Would you still be a Christian if Jesus promised you nothing but atonement for your sins and the lowliest place in His kingdom? Would gazing into His face every day in worship be enough of a reward for you if there were no crowns or streets of gold promised?
If your answer to this question is in the negative, then your so- called devotion will never stand the test of time. Life is difficult and the desire for riches, whether it be now or in the new Heavens and Earth, will not be enough incentive to help you when you hit rock - bottom and have to make a choice whether life is worth living. At that point in time, it’s only a relationship with the Lifegiver that will save you. When you refuse to feel His continual love enveloping you, knowing His commands will save your life, because you cannot disobey as you will be risking your chance to spend eternity in His company and that’s an awful lot to lose!
Scripture refs: Deut 30:19; Job 6:11; Job 7:15; Ps 21:4; Ps 119:11,25,55; Prov 14:27; John 1:4
