15 September, 2017

Hope Outside Ourselves



It’s national suicide prevention week in America, and Elissa is doing a beautiful series on why it’s worth it to stay. I was reading through the posts of her guest bloggers, and thinking about my take on stay. I remembered a post I’d written a couple of months ago challenging the ‘be yourself,’ ‘you do you,’ ‘live your own truth,’ idea. It didn’t feel right to share back then, but now I realize why it means so much to me.

I agree with living authentically and being genuine. God created us with different interests, preferences, and tastes, and He has a purpose in those differences, a plan to use them together in His service. We enjoy different foods, sports, and hobbies; we like different style of dress, art, and music; we have different talents, gifts, and callings. That’s the wonderful diversity of humanity, and that’s the way it should be.


But how does this relate to suicide prevention? Because if the only direction I had was ‘be you,’ I don’t know if I would be here. When I look inside myself, it isn’t pretty, it isn’t noble, and it doesn’t offer hope. I’m selfish, I mess up, and I hurt people. Sometimes I make someone smile, achieve a goal, or find satisfaction in new possessions, but it isn’t lasting. At the end of the day, I still have reason for discouragement and depression.

It’s a law of nature that we become like what or who we focus on. To rise, to find hope and reason to stay, we have to look outside ourselves. Even if our goal is to become our best self, we must analyse people we admire, consider qualities to imitate, look at the past and choose how the future will differ. 

But my goal isn’t to become the truest version of myself, because I don’t want to be that selfish failure. I’m not aiming for the best version of myself, because all my goodness adds up to nothing before Him. Instead, my greatest satisfaction and hope begins in laying myself down, and becoming who I was created to be: like God. As Vishal Mangalwadi explains:

As I started rereading the Bible’s first chapter, I found a radically different view of the human self. It says that God created human beings in His image (“man” – both male and female). On one hand both dogs and I are creatures. We are similar in many ways. For example, we are both mammals. Yet, in fundamental ways we are very different. I cannot know the essence of my humanness by studying dogs. If I am made in God’s image, would not knowing God be essential to knowing myself? The Book That Made Your World page 47

If dogs could reason, the only place they could look to be themselves is within. There is no greater dog they are made to be like; they can’t elevate themselves. But we’re made in the image of God, to be like God. If we want to rise, to find out who we’re meant to be, to discover the reason for our existence, we have to study the Pattern

I believe the answer is not to look in, but to look up. That’s why I have hope, rest, and reason to stay, even amid my mistakes: I know I am loved by a God who never lets go, and He’s slowly shaping me to be more like Him.

So don’t misunderstand – we’re purposefully unique individuals. But immaterially, in your soul, in the deepest parts of life, don’t do you. Don’t be yourself or live your own truth. Look up; look to the only One who understands what you’ve been through, who picks up the failures and messes of our broken existence and meshes them together as only grace and love could imagine. Be who God made you to be: a beautiful soul created in His image. Our hope is in Him

P.s How rare and beautiful it is to even exist... Listen here.

24 comments:

  1. This was a beautiful way to pass on the truth Jessica. I totally agree with what you said. The answer definitely does not lie within us but up. We have a hope eternal. We do not rely on our strength because we don't have strength on our own. Our hope and strength come from God alone. Thanks for sharing thiab🙂

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    1. Thanks, Joanny. Praise God! You're so right - as James says, everything good comes from above. Thanks for commenting. It's nice to hear from you! :)

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  2. This is beautiful and so true! I've tried to explain this to people before: That my only reason for living is because of Jesus Christ. They take this as a suicidal statement, which I'm not meaning it to be in the least. What else do we have to live for if not the hope Christ brings? It's why our world has grown to be such a dark place: We've forgot to look up.
    Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Yes! I ask the same question: what for, if not Christ? It's a genuine question, because I don't know how I would. It's sad our world has lost sight of Him - we need hope now more than ever. It's nice to know you're on the same page - thanks heaps for your comment! Keep looking up! :)

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  3. Hey friend-
    you have no idea how happy this makes my heart. like, woah.
    thankful for your wise words of truth.
    thankful for you jumping on board.
    thankful that you're spreading the message of STAY across the blogisphere.
    love this, and love you
    xoxox

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    1. Hey! Thanks for letting me join, and for your brilliant initiative that started it all. This world needs more bright lights like you. Your comment was such a blessing - thank you. Sending love back! xx

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  4. This is beautiful Jessica... thanks for this. We're supposed to look up, not in. I liked the quote from that book :). To get to now ourselves we need to get to know God. We should want to get to know God.
    Thank you again :)

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    1. So blessed to know it was an encouragement to you, Sarah! That quote made a lot of sense to me too. How much more reason do we need to pursue a closer relationship with our Father?! Thanks again for your sweet comment. :)

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  5. Amen. Thank you for this encouraging post, Jessica! It's worth it to serve Jesus!

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    1. You're so welcome! :) Yes, He makes all the difference. Thanks for the comment, girl! xx

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  6. I love this! I'm hopeful that someone out there will have a similar mindset. :) Sometimes it can be destructive to reflect inwards. Almost implosive (I have a tendency to do this). Maybe a sense of purpose can be my God, to help me look past my failures and focus on the grand scheme of things.

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    1. Yes, I think having a purpose is so key - it gives us something to focus on and aim for, rather than getting lost in ourselves - like you said, that's often destructive. I'm glad this was something you could relate to. Thanks heaps for the comment! :)

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  7. This is so so so true Jessica <3 I speak from personal experience because I was suicidal for this very reason at a different point of my life. God is stronger though, and His light shines through the darkness and pulls you closer to him. Thank you so much for sharing, this is really really something people need to hear xxx

    And that dog/human analogy was powerful! You have a gift for words! <3

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    1. Oh, I'm sorry you went through that. :( I'm so glad you found strength and hope in God! Amen, He is stronger! It's encouraging you feel the same about this topic - it's important to me too. Thanks for your support and lovely comment, Anna. xx

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  8. Aw, this is beautiful. You have the sweetest, sweetest heart. Thanks for sharing your pretty words. <3

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    1. You're so thoughtful; thanks for your kind encouragement! All praise to our heavenly Father! xx

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  9. how rare and beautiful it is to even exist!!!!!!! yes!!!!
    it is so so sad. not to get graphic or anything, have a friend who is a 911 operator. he told me that just the other day a kid called in and ended up committing suicide while on the line. my heart breaks every time I even think about it.
    ohhhh. thank you so much for this. it helped me heal about some things too okay.

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    1. Isn't it a good song! ;) It inspires me every time.

      Ohh! That's devastating! That would be so hard to go through, especially for your friend. And the poor kid and his/her family and friends. It's such a big thing, and it's just way, way too common. :(

      So blessed to know this could be something to you. Thanks so much for your comment - we're fighting for hope and light together. xx

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  10. This is amazing, Jessica <3 I'm so glad you choose to let God use you in such a powerful way--your words are so inspirational. You're so right. Hope for life is found in God, even when it's hard and even when we can't see a way out. The Christian life isn't easy, but it's worth it :)) Thank you for writing this <3 I love it.

    Also, is Sleeping at Last a band? I feel like I've heard about them before but I don't know anything about them? :)

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    1. Thanks so much for your encouragement! All praise to God. :) Yes, I agree with you totally - even if we don't fully comprehend how much it's worth until eternity.

      Yes, Sleeping at Last is a band/musical artist. I only recently heard about them, and have been enjoying what I've been hearing so far. :) Let me know what you think if you check them out! And thanks again for your comment. xx :)

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  11. Amen! Very beautifully written. Indeed, looking to ourselves for strength will only result in further darkness and depression. To find true hope and peace, we must look to the Prince of Peace: Jesus Christ.

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    1. Praise God. :) And amen to your thoughts! Jesus is the only way, truth, and life. Thanks for your comment, as always. xx

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