Experience can increase one’s empathy level, help balance emotions and cognition, help manage expectations, provide a wider view on things, can help with planning, … and more.

Unlike Cain, a Christian has a new spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17) and can therefore determine what happens in his mind. He can rule over his mind by consistently feeding his spirit with the Word, that way his spirit has dominance over his mind. He can determine his thoughts (Philippians 4:8), and he can control how he reacts to his feelings (1 Corinthians 9:27).

A few months ago, we mourned in my country, the death of a young doctor who parked his car on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos Nigeria, and jumped into the lagoon.  A few days ago, I read about a Pastor who killed himself! These are not normal occurrences. 

Matthew 4:5-6 flashed through my thoughts a while ago, then I found myself thinking; ‘was that a suicidal thought Jesus had’?  Can anything be done about them? what did Jesus do? 

“Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down, for it is written: “He shall give His angels charge over you and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone”.    NKJV.

How do you think a young well educated man, drove his car to the seaside, parked it carefully, then drowned himself? Thoughts! Thoughts!! Thoughts!!! 

Despite the many insinuations that followed the death of the young doctor mentioned above, we sure cannot say for sure what his life experiences were like but it’s possible he  must have THOUGHT himself worthless, useless and somehow hoping that killing himself would free him from his misery. Or do you think that maybe just like Jesus, this young man was physically led by hand to the sea by the devil? 

When you read the temptation of Jesus Christ in Matthew 4, you may choose to believe the devil was speaking directly to Jesus as a physical being, that’s fine, but personally, it seems Jesus battled with some  devilish thoughts, among which was a suicidal thought.

In one of my recent blog posts; ‘Trading Depression‘ I shared some ways of living above depression learning from Isaiah 61:1-3, here again, we can learn some lessons about managing suicidal thoughts from Jesus as seen in Matthew 4:5-6; 

1. Suicidal thoughts can come to anyone;  if Jesus was tempted to jump down from a pinnacle and possibly die, anyone can be tempted too. 
2. Suicidal thoughts come with a promise of something better than currently experienced. Imagine angels holding you up in their hands….sounds heavenly, doesn’t it? 
3. Suicidal thoughts are not from God, Jesus recognized them as coming from the devil. 
4. You overcome suicidal thoughts by challenging them with the word of God. Have ready (at all times), an ‘it is written‘ from the bible, just as Jesus did and speak it out loud. 
5. Suicidal thoughts always bow to an ‘it is written‘ from the word of God.  

So the next time a suicidal thought comes to you, recognize that they are not coming from God, Jesus was tempted with such thoughts too but He overcame,  you can overcome when you throw back an ‘it is written‘ from the word of God because suicidal thoughts and their source always bow to the word of God. 

Do not be ignorant of the devices of the enemy; cast them Down & Out, and subject every thought to the obedience of Christ as we are told in 2 Corinthians 10:5;

“…..casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ….”

Finally brethren, I leave you with the words of Apostle Paul;

“…whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report, it there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.”   Philippians 4:8 

If it is not pure, just, noble, true, lovely, if it will not mean a good report, if it has no virtue in it and it doesn’t smell like something praiseworthy, choose not to think  or meditate on them    🙂  

My love always……….