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Spiritual Suicide

Physical suicide is the end of a journey of despair.  It is the final choice of a person who has made a long line of bad choices, which often began with a single major stressor event; and he sees no other way out except to end his own life.  Spiritual suicide is similar, but entails some differences as well.

Similarly, spiritual suicide happens to a person who experiences an event that causes him to walk down the wrong road.  Like physical suicide, spiritual suicide does not happen overnight.  A person who commits spiritual suicide often does so without even fully realizing what is happening in his spiritual life.  The choices a person makes in his everyday life affect his spiritual well-being.  If a person picks up a bad habit or a mindset in which his actions are spiritually detrimental, then eventually such a person will die.  He will die little by little, as he continues to make wrong and bad choices. 

Recently, I was mucking our barn.  As I was mucking, it occurred to me that, as manure builds up in the stalls over time and must be continually cleaned out, so too, does the “manure” of life build up inside us and needs to be cleaned out from time to time.  This is what YHWH has done in provided for us the yearly festival cycle.  He has given to us a cycle in which, if one walks in a pleasing manner before his Creator, then all those things that would poison a person are continually cleaned out of his mind and heart. 

Three times during a year all males are required to appear before YHWH (e.g. Deut. 16:16).  By implication, this also includes women.  Those three times are the feasts of Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, and Sukkot.  Each festival contains the opportunity to examine ourselves in preparation to appear before YHWH.  YHWH wanted to make sure that our personal stalls, in our minds and hearts, are mucked out frequently so that the muck of life does not build up to an unmanageable level and overwhelm us.

When one does not properly clean out his life, but just allows things to build up, one begins to commit spiritual suicide.  Instead of dealing with things in a proper manner, one simply pushes them aside and ignores them.  Eventually, something will give and all that muck will come pouring out of the person, and those around him will be hurt or he will hurt himself.

That is one facet of how spiritual suicide happens in a person’s life.  Another is the very world in which we live.  The world in which we live is spiritually dead.  Furthermore, it attempts to make all who live in it spiritually dead as well.  This world cannot tolerate anything with good spiritual life.  The world continually heaps upon each and every person, muck, in an attempt to bury him or her alive in the filth of this world.  Please do not misunderstand me at this point.  The filth of this world not only consists of all that which the world labels as filth, but also all that which YHWH considers being filth as well.  The very nature of this world is filthy.  The very order of the world consists of being in opposition to YHWH and His kingdom.  When one understands this truth, he will be able to see the lure of this world for what it truly is – spiritual filth.

It is the partaking of this spiritual filth, which will cause one’s spiritual death (e.g. Eph. 2:3).  If a person is continually pursuing the things of this world, he is in fact committing spiritual suicide.  If a person is continually giving to his body and mind and heart that which it craves, he is killing himself spiritually. 

Spiritual strength comes from self-denial. 

It stands to reason then that spiritual weakness would be the opposite of this, or the pursuit of the self-life. 

No person just all of a sudden wakes up one day and decides to end his own life.  It happens over time.  Likewise, a person does not rob himself of spiritual strength with one single decision.  Rather, it happens when a person continuously chooses to give self that which it craves without any regard to the eternal consequences of those choices.

However, there is hope!

Right now, today, one can, through the Spirit of YHWH, take control of his spiritual well-being and muck out the stalls of his mind and heart and get rid of all those things that are not pleasing to our heavenly Father.  One can begin to make those right choices every day.  This is why YHWH gave us His Spirit, so that we do not have to walk in the lusts of this world.  We can walk in the Spirit of YHWH, which consists of power to overcome those things that continually pull us down into the depths of Sheol.

As one examines himself to see what needs to be mucked out, look at how one treats those around him, those closest to him.  If one is not treating others with the love of YHWH, then there needs to be some spiritual mucking done.  This is likely a symptom of things not dealt with in a timely manner.

One of the things I have witnessed recently is how some self-proclaimed followers of Mashiach Yeshua are treating others on social networks.  It is absolutely shameful.  What those guilty of this do not understand is how they are committing spiritual suicide. 

Yeshua said that the world would know His followers by their love for one another.  This is absolutely true!  Since it is true, then how some are treating others is an indication that perhaps they are not actually part of His body. 

I know there are times for all of us when we have an off day, and we snap at those around us.  However, that is not what we are talking about in this context.  What we are pointing out is a consistent day-after-day mistreatment of others.  When a person has no respect for the words of another, then he certainly will not treat another with kindness and love.

One person does not have to agree with another person to make the choice to treat that person with kindness, love, and respect.  It is a choice.  It is a choice born out of the presence of YHWH in that person’s life.

Brothers and sisters, let us all recognize that we are all susceptible to spiritual suicide; therefore, let us guard not only ourselves, but watch and pray for all our brothers and sisters in Mashiach Yeshua.

Zerubbabel ben Emunah
www.onetorahforall.com
zerubbabel@onetorahforall.com

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