suicide is not an option

St Justin Martyr talks to us today in A Year with the Church Fathers about suicide. There seems to be little difference between suicide and martyrdom, right? I mean, in both cases the person ends up dead. But there is a huge difference, and Justin Martyr tells us why Christians don't commit suicide.

Apparently he was asked by some Romans why Christians, if they believe that heaven is so great, don't just go ahead and kill themselves so they can go there. And, apparently the Roman added, stop bothering them. Well, that's part of the answer right there. Just explains the other reasons why we don't kill ourselves... like the fact that our death is not up to us, but it's God's decision when we die. And that giving up on life is a form of despair that betrays a lack of faith in God.

But another major reason why Christians don't commit suicide is that we are SUPPOSED to be "bothering" the people who aren't Christians. We are to be salt and light, preserving the world from the form of total depravity that it would fall into without a Christian influence. We are to continue sharing the truth of the gospel to everyone who will listen, so that they might hear that good news and come to love God the way He wants us to. If all Christians killed themselves, that would pretty much damn the rest of the world, right?

So a big part of the reason why I'm still here is for other people. A major reason you're here is to help others find Him. Not that you or I would kill ourselves. But there have been times when I've been sick and just thought "Maybe it's just time to go home." But then I think that I need to stick around and help people know Him. Help people grow in their faith. I think that's a big reason why He wants us to carry on, walking this road, even when it gets dark sometimes.

God, please use our lives to help others find You.