Don't Accept Satan's Lies

Prior to being in ministry I was a subcontractor for flooring and I had various men work for me during that time.  One specific man worked for me about seven years and we became very good friends to the point that we enjoyed each other’s company even off of the clock.  He was a believer in Jesus Christ and attended another local church in town; in fact, he was very involved in ministry at that church.  He had grown up in a Christian home and his parents served as missionaries.

I knew that he had become infrequent in church and he started to enjoy more acquaintances with people outside of the church.  For his own reasons, he had become frustrated and disillusioned with the church and so called Christians.  Alcohol became a dear friend that he could trust and isolation became a regular practice in his life.  We always enjoyed each other’s company and we often picked up where we left off when we got together.  However, I knew that he lacked the joy of walking with Christ like he once did in his life.  It wasn’t long and he began to fail to acknowledge or respond to my calls and texts although I knew he was busy.  In fact, I even continued to refer him flooring work from people who would contact me for flooring—everyone loved him.

I knew that his parents and siblings were concerned for him but they did not want to interfere with his life or push him away from them.  Having never married and with his family living out of town, he spent a great deal of time by himself.  Out of the blue one day he sent me a text that said, “Please tell my parents that I’m very sorry but I’m unable go on.  I’ve tried.”  I did not know how to interpret this text although I took it to heart and attempted to call him to grab coffee with him.  After a few short exchanges of texts he went off the radar and stopped responding to me.  It was six hours later that I received a phone call from a common friend sharing with me that he had just ended his life with a gun. 

As tears filled my eyes and a lump developed in my throat, I stood speechless and dumbfounded.  I could only ask the question, “Why would he do this”?  It has been almost four years since he took his life and I keep his photo next to my desk to remind me about the preciousness of life, friends, and to keep praying for his family.  I truly believe that he succumbed to the lies of the evil one, Satan.  You see Satan would have us to believe that God is not capable of bringing deliverance in our lives.  Satan would have us to believe that life is meaningless.  Satan would have us to believe that our circumstances our hopeless and that God left us behind.  Satan would have us to believe that we are unworthy and that nobody cares for us any longer.  Satan is a liar!!!

Once an individual crosses the line and accepts Satan’s lies then Satan sets his hook deep inside of their soul.  He then attempts to draw them away causing them to entertain all types of ungodly thoughts including ending their life.  Please be convinced and share with others that there is not a thing that could ever separate us from the love of God, which is through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:38-39).  Christ proved His love to us through His death, resurrection, sitting at the right hand of God, and by interceding (praying; John 17:9) for us even today.  God wants us to know the fullness of joy and peace, which comes through walking and fellowshipping with Him.  The day we let go of God’s hand is the day we begin to look for the hand of another (Satan) who will always give us the wrong comfort and ultimately poison our soul.  Please reach those who are doubting the love of God today!