Do you ever get invited to participate in an opportunity, it seems worth it, it seems as if it would be beneficial to you, so you take it but it ends up to be so much more than what you expected it to be?
Last Friday, through my job at the high school, I was able to participate in a Youth Suicide Prevention Training. It was a half day event that I was paid to attend and it was all about training an individual to be prepared to recognize a person's invitation to help when they are dealing with suicidal thoughts and then be able to address the situation. The training was awesome and I am blessed to have this knew knowledge and educational backing to deal with the seriousness of suicide. But the Lord has turned this into something so much bigger for me...a whole new understanding of prevention and having faith behind it.
The training in a nutshell basically taught us to be upfront. When you see that a person is struggling with depression, isolation, and many other indicators you simply sit down with them and address your observations and then bluntly say..."Are you thinking about committing suicide?" You do not beat around the bush, you do not ask them if they are wanting to hurt themselves because their method of suicide may not be painful. You cut to the chase...and if they say no, then great, you can help them find a solution to whats bothering them. But if they say yes, you are able to talk to them and get them the proper help that they need. Almost every person who has suicidal thoughts does not really want to die, they just want the pain to stop. This is serious. Very serious. And to not take it seriously could cost a life....
Here comes the Lord's spin on things. I can not stop thinking about this training and how it does not only relate to suicide. It is a principle that also works in spiritual situations.
The training may have seemed simple but as they went on I really had confidence in the prevention. And it actually seemed 100% easier to be straight forward and to not beat around the bush. It is one question....rather than tons of suggestive comments that are made to hopefully have the other person fess up to what they are dealing with on their own.
When we see something that is going on in our Brothers and Sisters in Christ, or even a lost soul. We can not take the matter lightly. God is big enough to use us. Just like the matter of suicide a lot of times the spiritual matters in a person is the same...life or death. To know Jesus or to not. In my training I learned the simplicity of having faith in the prevention. Doing this rids of the fear of offending someone, making a situation worse, or looking like a freak for jumping straight to the most intense situation. Who care's about all of that when there may be a life at stake. I know this is kinda intense but this is such a huge empowerment to me that I wanted to share it with you.
When we meet someone and they are dealing with something severe and you feel that tug in your heart and that push in your spirit to do something for the Lord, have faith in that. Have faith that the prevention (GOD) will work, because he will, because ultimately He loves that person more than you do, He created them, He is their father. Increasing our faith will give us the strength to save a life. If you dismiss the invitation, which by the way every person who is considering suicide will give out invitations and most of the time it is subconsciously because what is inside them is crying out for help. They want the help, because like I said before they really do not want to die they just can not figure out another way for the pain to end. But people who do not know Christ also give out invitations, to be saved, to receive love, to be helped, to be healed. If you dismiss it, you may have cost them their life. If you acknowledge it and speak the truth of God into their lives, God is big enough to move. Have faith in the prevention. This also goes for your friends and peers that do know Christ but could walk more deeply with him. They long to glorify God, their spirit longs for someone to speak encouragement into them.
Have faith in what he is speaking to you when it comes to the well being of his son's and daughters. He has given us the authority to speak his truth in the earth. Do not allow fear to hold you back from saving or elevating a life. It matters, it is serious. Notice the indications and the invitations of a person who is being held in captivity and by the spirit of God with in you SPEAK freedom into their lives. Do not just walk away in hopes that they will one day find peace with God. You are there, you received the invitation, you have the authority, SPEAK.
It is life or death, it is freedom or captivity, it is wholeness or brokenness, it is healing or sickness, it is peace or depression, it is fearlessness or fear.
God's people need you. Believe in what the Lord can do through you. When you have FAITH in the prevention you will be unafraid to use it. People will be uplifted and a community can be changed.
Engage your faith...step out in fearlessness...touch a life...you were made for this :)
My mind is blown and my heart is increased by this revelation.
I love you!
Kira
No comments:
Post a Comment