The headline read: “More Americans now commit suicide than are killed in car crashes as miserable economy takes its toll”. That is the most shocking headline I’ve read in a long time. It’s hard to imagine! More people kill themselves than are killed in car wrecks–that just doesn’t sound right. The study was over the decade ending in 2009. It showed that suicide was up over 15%, with more than 37,000 Americans taking their lives in 2009. And experts say,”Suicides are terribly under-counted”, so who knows what the number actually is. I suspect the figures for 2010-2012 are much higher. So it’s actually worse than the study indicates.
While the bad economy plays a role in this there are many other factors. But, I believe the root of the problem is of a spiritual nature. We have numerous agencies and organizations, and have spend millions trying to stop this epidemic, but it keeps getting worse. More people died from suicide than in the Iraq War and the war in Afghanistan during that time frame! e can blame the economy and a dozen other things, but the root of the problem is spiritual. Man was not meant to live apart from God and in rebellion against God. Without a personal relationship with Christ every area of our life is affected.
We live in a day that is not unlike the days of Noah when “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and –every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”(Gen. 6:5). I’m no expert, but that sounds like insanity to me. Anytime a person lives without any regard for God and is continually thinking of nothing but evil something is terribly wrong.
It is sad to see so many people giving up on life–it doesn’t have to be that way. Life can be wonderful if you receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you are unsaved, you are not solving your problems by taking your life. You are making things much worse — worse than you know. As long as you are alive there’s a chance for you to be saved, but hell awaits every unbeliever the moment they die.
We would do almost anything to avoid a car wreck or to stay out of a war, why wouldn’t we make the same effort to stop these senseless suicides? If you know of someone who is distraught and threatening to take their life reach out to them. Tell them of Christ, in whom they can find forgiveness, eternal life, hope and heaven. Knowing Him gives you something worth living for!
