Superhero: Solution Seekers

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If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below:

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This is Part 5 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love.

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In this message (Part 5), I’m going to examine another defining characteristic of superheroes: they are solution seekers!

Solution seeker! Yes! Being a solution-seeker is a great concept and a wonderful thing to write on a resume! But there’s one problem: we often worry about what’s wrong. Many people are prone to pointing out problems. In fact, I just pointed out a problem by pointing out that problem. (Oh no! That’s a problem!) But wait – there’s more! I have good news to share! Where there are problems, there can be solutions! In fact, here is a solution to problems: Never point out a problem unless you’re also willing to seek a solution. At the very least, you must be willing to seek a solution to a problem or else you become the problem. For the one who refuses to seek a solution accepts the problem as a permanent pain.

If seeking solutions is such an easy answer to pesky and persistent problems, why are there so many people who are depressed and/or filled with anxiety or worry? Why do so many people consider suicide? Well, there exists two major evil villains that prevent people from seeking solutions: Fear and Doubt – they are the fork in the tongue of the serpent. Many people often allow problems to paralyze them from going forward due to fear of failure; many people also what-if themselves into indecisiveness and doubt themselves into idleness.

Fear and Doubt:

Fear paralyzes people and prevents possibility. Even if you do not fear anything, you can still be denied possibility due to Doubt. If Doubt becomes a barrier between you and Belief, it becomes equal to fear in the sense that it still prevents you from possibility. The person who allows Fear and Doubt to take control becomes his/her own problem because he/she is imprisoned within his/her own mind. In the prison of problems, your only cellmate is stagnation.

There Is Hope:

I’m going to let you in on a secret in the hope that you’re going to tell everyone and it will no longer be a secret: Doubt fears Belief, and Fear doubts Belief. Even with as much hatred and evil as Fear and Doubt have within themselves, they still understand the concept of teamwork; together, they can imprison you! However, Doubt fears Belief. Doubt fears Belief because Belief banishes Doubt away. Where is your concept of teamwork? You cannot have teamwork with Fear or Doubt while seeking Possibility. Fear and Doubt already work together with plans of destruction and their target is you! You can only pair up with Belief and Vision in order to find Possibility. Belief banishes Doubt from you when you and Belief join together to create a team. Together, you can then overcome Fear because you would believe that you can do so. However, because Fear doubts Belief, Fear will follow you, doubting that Belief will remain within you. Since Belief banishes doubt from you when you team up with Belief, Doubt will live inside of Fear (who is following you), motivating Fear to follow you. However, the pursuit will be in vain because Belief is eternal so long as you never have an about-face of doubt. That means you will always be able to find Possibility so long as you team up with Belief. But belief in what? Not what, but who! Belief in the Savior, Christ Jesus! The Savior is the Solution – we simply need to seek the Solution to all problems if we are to find the specific solutions for specific problems!

Resist and Receive:

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”
(James 4:7-8) -NLT

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
(Matthew 7:7-11) -NLT

The special stipulation to this promise is found in James 4:2-3; our desires need to be in alignment with GOD’s will. Ask yourself three important questions:

1. For what are you asking?
2. Why are you asking for that specific request?
3. Will it benefit the Kingdom of GOD?

Knowing GOD takes faith, focus, and follow-through. Jesus promises a reward for the passionate pursuit of seeking GOD’s will.

What Does GOD Say About Fear?

There are over 300 instances in the Bible in which we are instructed not to fear. There are two major reasons why we should not fear:

1. Trust in GOD;
2. love for others.

(1) There should be no fear in this limited lifetime because we know our eternal destiny:

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”
(Matthew 10:28-31) -NLT

(2) Why would we fear the outcome of choosing to love?:

“And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”
(1John 4:17-18) -NLT

Therefore, we do not fear people nor do we fear punishment. Perfect love casts out all fear. And since we trust in GOD – who is love (1John 4:8,16) – and we choose to love GOD and others, we have no reason to fear.

What Does GOD Say About Doubt?

“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”
(Psalm 94:19) -NLT

Do you see how this works? Belief banishes doubt. Faith (trust) in GOD creates hope. With hope, one has reason to seek solutions. While seeking the Solution, the Holy Spirit gives the seeker wisdom and vision. Wisdom and vision plan out and produce possibilities.

“And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’ ”
(Matthew 14:28-33) -ESV

Peter had faith and so he walked on water. However, he allowed doubt within and he started to sink. But remember: doubt was living inside of fear and fear is faithful to follow. Doubt and fear joined forces and caused Peter to sink. But in seeking the Savior, the Solution was found: trust in the Lord is the solution. Faith creates hope and hope gives birth to possibilities.

“Then Jesus told them, ‘I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, “May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,” and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.’ ”
(Matthew 21:21) -NLT

So, faith is foundational and prayer is powerful. But in order to pray we must first be seeking GOD. If prayer, however, is one of the keys to being a solution seeker, then prayer needs to be properly understood.

Faith-filled Purposeful Prayer:

Prayer needs to be purposeful if it is to be powerful (I’ll expound upon prayer in parts 21-22). Prayer is not a means of merely asking for what we want. GOD is not a magic genie and prayer is not the magic lamp by which to summon GOD. Prayer is a connection between us and GOD. A healthy relationship requires constant communication. So, talk. Prayer is also a way to love others. We should pray for others (Ephesians 6:18-19). But we should also pray that GOD’s will be done and not our own (Matthew 26:39, 42, 44). In the connection of prayer, the goal is to come into alignment with GOD’s will. Regarding prayer, it is important to remember that GOD always answers our prayers in one of three possible ways: yes, no, or not yet. And it is important to thank GOD for all the “no” answers. All the “no” answers eventually lead to the “yes” moment. When we pray, we must pray for the right reasons. Motive matters. We don’t need a mantra, we need a meaningful connection with the Maker. Prayers need to be genuine and purposeful. But remember: you don’t always need to know exactly what to say (Romans 8:26-28). Just be honest.

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”
(James 1: 6-8) –NIV

Doubts are sometimes unavoidable and seem inevitable. Whether intellectually based or emotionally charged, all doubts need to be doubted and examined. If you find yourself doubting, you’re certainly not alone in your struggle. In Mark 9:24, the father of the possessed son asked Jesus to help his unbelief. Having the courage to doubt your doubts and investigate their causes leads to greater confidence in your relationship with Jesus. In seeking the Savior, He can help work through your doubts to increase your faith. Therefore, investigate your doubts. Seek Truth. Be specific about what your doubts are – write them out and list reasons for and against them. Also, pray! And never stop praying (1Thessalonians 5:17)! Like the father of the possessed son, we too can ask GOD to help with unbelief. Be a Solution seeker! This is important because belief casts out doubt and love casts out fear. The faith-filled become the faith-full! The faithful and loving solution-seeker is stable and also able to pursue possibilities.

Beyond, Through, and To:

“Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.”
(1Peter 5:7) –NCV

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:6-7) -NLT

Though the Bible does not explicitly say that worry is a sin, we can still logically conclude that it is a sin by examining all the available evidence. One simply cannot trust GOD to provide if one worries about provision. Likewise, one cannot trust GOD about wellbeing if one worries about wellbeing. Faith is trust. There’s no trust in worrying because worrying comes from doubting GOD.

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
(Hebrews 11:6) -NLT

Know this: GOD already told us He will take care of all our needs (Matthew 6:25-34).

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
(Philippians 4:8-9) -NLT

Pray Your Way To Peace:

Prayer is not our last resort; rather, it is our first line of defense! And that is why prayer is being discussed here in addition to the end of this book. How do we get GOD’s peace? By putting into practice what we learned. We have learned that we need to put our trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). So, let us put into practice our faith by living confidently in Christ. We can pray our way into peace! Look beyond the problem, through the potential and to the possibilities by seeking the power of GOD in prayer. If we focus on all that is good and right, our focus won’t be on what is bad and wrong. That’s easier said than done – I know. But no one ever said that what is simple is also easy. If we fill our minds with GOD’s Word, we won’t have enough room to fill our minds with the Satan’s lies and the world’s ways. Christians must think about what they’re thinking about and not allow their minds to wander into the chaotic circus of sin. In our spiritual warfare, we need to wear the helmet of salvation (explain in Part 19) because it is spiritual armor for the mind. Negative thoughts can be replaced with positive ones, and the more that godly substitution takes place, the more peace and joy we can experience. Many times we are asking GOD to change our situation when GOD desires to change our stinkin’ thinkin’! GOD’s peace is promised to guard those who pray – with thanksgiving – about everything.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
(Romans 8:28) -NLT

Stay Focused:

We already know the ending of the story! Christ returns, evil is banished to Hell, and all believers will live happily ever after with Jesus for eternity (Revelation 19-21). Knowing this, our focus should simply be on how to continually make things better until Christ returns. GOD gave people the great gift of free will. Where free will exists, evil is always possible; in fact, bad things are inevitable in this sinful fallen world. But GOD created us to create good while we choose to live a life of love. So, what are you creating? In order to be a solution seeker, we must trust in GOD and love others. Belief banishes doubt and love expels fear. Without fear and doubt, GOD’s peace will be with you and GOD’s power will enable you to be more than a conquerer in Christ (Romans 8:37).

Conclusion:

“Show mercy to those who have doubts. Save others by snatching them from the fire of hell.”
(Jude 1: 22-23) –GW

You can be a superhero! You can be a superhero by simply being a consistent solution seeker! In the name of Jesus, go be a defender of the faith by helping others battle fear and doubt. Peter was saved while sinking in the sea of doubt because he reached out to Jesus. All people can find salvation by doing exactly what Peter did – by reaching out to Jesus and trusting Him to save. In fact, I did the same thing when I once found myself sinking and Jesus saved me too! To read my testimony, see my other article, “My Testimony: From Agnosticism, To Atheism, To Christianity“.

Here’s the bottom line: When a problem comes along, you must whip it! Whip it good… in the name of Jesus!

 

What About Suicide?

First and foremost, may it be known that if you’re considering suicide, you are not alone in this life and many people are available to live life with you — including myself. In fact, I have battled depression for as long as I can remember and I have waged wars through suicidal thoughts myself. If you are considering suicide, do everything you can to get the help you need. Suicide is never the answer! Call 1-800-273-8255, the national hotline, get yourself to a hospital if you can, call 911, go alert someone in your home, apartment, or workplace, or wherever you are, and do whatever it takes to get help.

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National Hopeline Network: 1-800-SUICIDE
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK
To Write Love on Her Arms: http://twloha.com/find-help
Befrienders.org: http://www.befrienders.org/directory
Suicide hotlines available in most countries: http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html

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At the age of 17 going into 18, I had written out my own suicide letter. Before reading this article, I highly recommend that you read my personal testimony: My Testimony. If you have a desire to leave this life here on Earth, it is only because you are not of this world (John 15:18-20; 17:14-19) and are meant to be in the presence of GOD, connected with the Creator. But this is why we need to come to Christ Jesus in faith and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

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(Acts 16:27-30)
“27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?””

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Because Roman jailers were personally responsible for their prisoners and could be executed for allowing them to escape (Acts 12:19), the jailer decided to kill himself instead of suffering through an execution. But in Acts 16:28, Paul prevented a jailer from committing suicide.

Is suicide wrong? Is it a sin? Will suicide prevent someone from entering the Kingdom of heaven? Because mere human opinion is relative, we should investigate what GOD’s Word says about the topic of suicide being though GOD is the absolute moral standard (Leviticus 10:10; 19:2; Deuteronomy 27:10; 28:9; Romans 3:10,23; 1Peter 1:16; Revelation 15:4).

Samuel was a man of GOD, had always been careful to listen to GOD (1Samuel 3:10; 9:14-17), obey GOD (1Samuel 3:21; 10:1-2), and even ended up in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11:32). But Samuel prophesied that Saul and his sons would die and they would be with him (1Samuel 28:19). We also know that Jonathan was a man of GOD (1Samuel 18:3; 20:8,23,32,42). But if Saul would end up “with” Samuel and Jonathan, does this mean that Saul’s suicide (1Samuel 31:4-5) was justifiable and he would end up in the Kingdom of heaven? Is anyone’s suicide justifiable? Does suicide prevent people from entering the Kingdom?

Well, the verse simply states that Saul and his sons would be with him, meaning they would die and then go to the ‘other side’ (where Samuel went after his physical death) where we all face Judgment (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:12,15). Scripture does not actually state whether Saul and his sons will be in either Heaven or Hell. But Scripture does inform us that Saul indeed killed himself by falling on his own sword.

However, suicide is not justifiable. Never. Suicide involves the unauthorized taking of a human life, and as such violates the sixth commandment of murder (Exodus 20:13). Suicide is murder; it makes no difference that the life taken is one’s own. All life belongs to GOD, and He alone has the right to take it (Deuteronomy 32:39; Job 1:21). Even the most desperate believers in the Bible who desired death never considered suicide a morally viable alternative. Rather, recognizing the sovereign hand of GOD over human life, they prayed like Jonah: “Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:3). Apostle Paul even prevented the Roman jailer in Philippi from taking his own life (Acts 16:27-28). Abimelech commanded his armor-bearer to kill him out of a selfish and hateful motive because he didn’t want anyone to be able to say that a woman took his life; in fact, his act was not seen as commendable, but as judgment (Judges 9:54,56). Ahithophel committed suicide because he had been publicly humiliated and he wanted to avoid being executed for treason (2Samuel 17:23). Zimri, after murdering an Israelite king, ended his life to avoid being killed by his pursuers (1Kings 16:18). Judas hanged himself after experiencing remorse due to betraying Jesus (Matthew 27:3-5). And as we learned from the “Judas” Picture Scripture, there is good reason to believe that Judas was never saved.

But what about Samson taking his own life? With Samson, his situation seems to be more of a sacrifice, not a suicide. Samson had been humiliated and humbled and then he essentially offered his life as a sacrifice for others’ benefit (Judges 16:30) even though his motive was to get revenge. GOD simply used both the situation Samson had gotten himself into and Samson’s willingness to be a sacrifice to enact judgment upon an evil people. It was in Samson’s humbled decision to offer himself as a sacrifice that he aligned himself with what is written in Scripture (John 15:13). Suicide is acting for one’s self; Samson offered his life for others.

There are no biblical examples of honorable suicide nor is there any reason to believe that anyone who committed suicide was ever saved. But will suicide prevent people from entering the Kingdom of Heaven? Though we have permission to call attention to sin and judge according to righteousness (John 7:24; 1Corinthians 5:9-13; 6:2-6), it is never our place to proclaim with absolute certainty whether someone is going to Heaven or Hell — there is only One Judge (Romans 14:4,10-12; James 4:12). Only GOD knows what happens with a person in their very last moment with their very last breath. Scripture also states that all sins (with the exception of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit) will be forgiven (Matthew 12:31-32) so long as we are in Christ and the Holy Spirit is in us. So, obviously, if a person is not saved, then that person who committed suicide wouldn’t be saved anyway. But what about the person who claims to be saved?

There is good reason to believe that suicide would be sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, and that means there would no longer remain a sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:26-27). Would the Holy Spirit ever tell someone to kill him/herself? Or is that something only Satan would do because he was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44)? Suicide is an attack on the image of GOD in man (Genesis 1:26-27) and an attempt to usurp GOD’s sovereignty over human life. If a truly saved person does not practice lawlessness but bears fruit by keeping with repentance (Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 5:7-17; 1John 3:4-10; Matthew 7:16-20,24-25; Luke 6:43-44; John 13:17; 15:1-11; James 1:21-25), wouldn’t suicide be sinning willfully while cutting down the tree to ensure that no fruit would come from it? Suicide bears no fruit and destroys the tree. Dying daily to our flesh (Luke 9:23-24; Romans 6:11; 8:13; 1Corinthians 15:31; Galatians 2:20; 5:24) does not mean literally murdering your body. Anyone who knows the truth yet willfully walks away from the truth would be guilty. It is written in James 4:17 that “one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

Committing suicide is a willful rejection of the Holy Spirit. No one who has the Holy Spirit within them is able to make the claim that the Holy Spirit is telling them it’s acceptable to commit suicide. The very act of committing suicide as a “Christian” would be to either declare the Holy Spirit as evil (for telling you to commit suicide) or to rebel against the Holy Spirit (because He told you not to commit suicide). Either way, suicide is willfully sinning after knowing the truth. And true children of GOD do not reject the Holy Spirit in order to do what they know is wrong. Christians are called to endure until the end, not escape (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13; John 6:27; 1Corinthians 4:12; 10:13; 13:7; 2Corinthians 1:6; 2Timothy 2:10-13; 2Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 12:3-17; 1Peter 2:19-20). It is also written in Philippians 2:3-5: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (see also, Romans 15:1-3).

The bottom line is that we should not be willing to gamble with salvation or eternity. Even if forgiven, it does not mean that it’s right or acceptable (Romans 6; Hebrews 10:26-27; James 4:17). Life is a gift from GOD and your body is a Holy Temple (1Corinthians 6:19-20) that should be used for service to the Lord and others (Matthew 20:26-28; 23:11; 24:46; 28:18-20; Mark 9:35; 10:43-45; Luke 12:38,43; 22:26: John 12:26; Acts 26:16; Romans 1:9; 12:11; 14:18; 1Corinthians 4:1; 9:19; 2Corinthians 4:5; 6:4; 11:23; Galatians 5:13; 2Timothy 2:24; 1Peter 4:10). How is it possible to serve the Lord and others if you’re not here to do so?

To take a life — even your own — is to play the role of GOD. But GOD is the only One who should give and take away (1Samuel 2:6; Deuteronomy 32:39; Job 1:21). We are instructed to endure until the end and walk by faith (2Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:6). By giving up and quitting early, do you believe you will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21,23) or would you get told that you’re a “wicked and slothful servant” (Matthew 25:26) and get cast into the “outer darkness” (Matthew 25:30)? Is it possible for someone to have faith in Christ yet not have faith in His plan and to abandon the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20; Philippians 1:22-26)? Instead of taking our lives into our own hands, we should place our lives into GOD’s care and trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-8; Romans 14:7-8). If GOD brings you to it, GOD will bring you through it!

Conclusion:

An examination of Scripture reveals the Truth about suicide:

[1] Suicide is an option that some deeply troubled people will choose when facing seemingly hopeless circumstances. There may be perceived problems, but we need to be solution seekers. Suicide is murder and even our own lives are not ours to take.

[2] Suicide is a selfish choice and a tragic end to a human life.

[3] If we place our focus on the great commandment (Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12:29-31) and the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20), we will know that suicide is not in alignment with GOD’s will because suicide is not in alignment with loving GOD and loving others (1Corinthians 13).

[4] Therefore, suicide is blatant rebellion against GOD’s will, it will never receive divine approval, and it is never justifiable. It is also written in 1Samuel 15:22-23 that “rebellion is as the sin of divination.”

Now, I freely confess that like Elijah in 1Kings 19:4, I have prayed for GOD to take my life and bring me Home. I confess that there have been many days I desired to depart from this world because I know I am not of this world (John 15:18-20; 17:14-19). But because there have been many days I desired to depart, there have also been many days I felt connected with the words of Paul in Philippians 1:21-30: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again. Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

Just like the Roman jailer of Acts 16:25-34, the answer is not suicide. In fact, the answer to being saved is to follow Christ and obey His commandments, enduring until the end. The Holy Spirit would never command anyone to commit suicide. Instead, Jesus tells us to take up our crosses and follow Him.