It is devastatingly sad and at the same time completely astounding, why people who appear to have it all, in terms of fame and fortune, still choose to end their own lives.
This is what went through my mind when I heard that the lead singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington, had committed suicide.
Yet we see it again and again in Hollywood. Over the past few years, an array of wonderfully gifted people have made the calculated decision that life is no longer worth living.
These famous suicides impact us because they are household names, faces that we have seen on screen, in concert or maybe even in person and their story is broadcast on almost every media platform across the world.
But it is even more overwhelming when this tragedy touches our lives personally. When it is a friend, a family member, a class mate or work colleague.
Every single suicide is a heartbreaking realisation that someone was suffering so much inner turmoil that they could not see any way out of it.
They had lost all hope. They could find no purpose in this life.
The World Health Organisation estimates that each year, almost 1 million people die from suicide. Globally, this represents one death every 40 seconds as a result of suicide. That is an appalling statistic. And it is predicted that by 2020 the rate of death will increase to one every 20 seconds. In the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide and this makes suicide one of the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 (male and female).
Why is there so much disillusionment and disappointment these days when the world has progressed to a point where we have almost anything and everything right at our fingertips.
Maybe its because we weren’t designed for instant gratification. Maybe it makes us purposeless, and hopeless – I see it. I want it. I can’t imagine life without it. Life is not worth it without it!
I don’t think that we were wired for ‘instant’. I think that we were wired to dream.
To have hope. To have purpose.
I heard a quote in a movie recently “Hope is the thing with feathers. That perches in the soul.” By Emily Dickenson. And I will add …. ‘That needs to take flight’
Hope is having an attitude of optimism.
By its very definition it means ‘to believe, desire, or trust’
Hope encourages us to move forward with a stance to overcome. Hope can be both secular and religious. In a secular sense, it serves as a personal beacon, shining its light during those times of darkness.
From a religious perspective, it is everything!
Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
And holding ‘Hope’s’ hand is ‘Purpose’.
Hope gives us courage to live. Purpose shows us how to live!
If we believe in God, we believe that God created us with a purpose. He has a plan for how He wants us to play a part in His-story.
Jeremiah 1:5
5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
Our purpose is something that is beyond ourselves. It is the impact or influence that we have on the world around us.
God has placed your purpose in the very core of your being.
If you look into your heart, you will find your passion there and most often, your passion determines your purpose.
Your purpose is usually birthed out of your passions rather than your talents.
Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to find your passion because it isn’t often something that you find overnight.
Your life experiences prepare you for you purpose.
But you need to look beyond yourself and your circumstances to find it.
I believe that my ultimate purpose is to show the world Gods love. Practically, this is worked out in many ways in my life. My past work experience has equipped me to be a worthy contributor to the family business. So I am able to impact my business world
My time spent drumming in the church band has fueled my passion for music and given me a deep love for worship. So now I am in a position where I can host worship evenings at my home, giving people a place and an opportunity to ‘go deeper’ in worship.
And lastly, my writing is a passion that I have had since I was a kid, but never pursued as a career. Although I have always jumped at the opportunity to write the company newsletters. Now I have my very own blog and this is my greatest passion of all. I am able to share about Gods love through my own life experiences.
All of these things together form part of my life’s purpose.
So if you have a dream that still beats deep within your heart, keep at it and don’t let it go. Your purpose may be about to emerge.
Remember to live out of your heart.
Here is a thought-provoking quote by Henry David Thoreau
“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”
Don’t be like that.