1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body. (NIV)

Not too long ago, I was speaking with an elderly person. This individual was telling me the story of an old gentleman in excellent health, who committed suicide. He left a note telling his friends and family that he was not depressed, nor was he ill; he was simply bored. He had done everything he wanted to do in life, gone every place he wanted to go, and rather than continue living a life of boredom, he had decided to end it all. The one I was speaking with thought this to be a very wise decision and claimed that such a choice would also be his when and if the time came. Though I was not surprised by this announcement, I was deeply saddened, for God gave much for each and every person's life.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)

For the Christian, life is not about our will but about Christ and His will. We have been bought at a price: the price of Christ, Himself. And in that purchase, we are now no longer our own, but His, to do with as He knows is best.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

Therefore boredom, terminal illness, pain, and suffering of any type should never be a consideration for suicide. Empathy, yes; suicide, no. We are God's in Christ, and He has a plan for us, just as He has always had for His people.

Jeremiah 29:11 – "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV)

That plan may include being wheelchair- or bed-bound, having others care for us when we would much rather be caring for them. It may be one which involves loneliness and boredom, at least for a time. Indeed, it may not be a plan that is to our liking at all. The bottom line for us as Christians, however, should never be about what we want. Rather, our desire should be the same one which Jesus demonstrated for us when He so agonizingly called out to His beloved Father in Gethsemane, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. (Luke 22:42 NIV)

None of us knows how God will ultimately choose to use us over our years of service to Him, and it is not for us to know. All we really need to know and do is this:

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (NIV)

Those paths lead straight to heaven, where, in His time, God will wipe every tear from our eyes, and where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain (or, I suspect, boredom) for the old order of things will have passed away. (see Revelation 21:4)

Prayer: Father God, help us this day to remember that we have been bought and paid for with a price — the price of Christ. No matter what our circumstances or feelings, may our wills ultimately always make way for Yours. In Christ's wonderful name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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