By Brooke Cranford | LTVN Sports Director
Being a Christian does not mean you are immune to all of the troubles life gives us. In fact, God gives us a multitude of examples in the Bible of people who suffered.
One of many examples would be Job.
When you read through the story of Job in the Bible, we get a look into the conversation between God and Satan and the reason why Job lost everything in Job 2:3. Without knowing a reason, Job lost his kids, house, livelihood, his health and it resulted in him wishing he had never been born.
This season of tribulation did not make Job a bad Christian, and it certainly did not mean that he suddenly lost all of his faith.
It is stories like these that are the reason why Christians need to have the hard conversations out loud. The misconception that just because we have hope means we don’t struggle is so far from the truth.
This can create a spiritual version of imposter syndrome. It leads Christians to believe that just because they aren’t as joyful as others or don’t look like the “perfect believer,” that they are all alone and need to bottle everything up inside because they’re afraid of being judged or criticized.
God never intended Christianity to be a front and it was never about looking like we have it all together. It was always about loving your neighbor as yourself, unapologetically and wholeheartedly.
Pay attention to your friends and be open about your struggles. Keeping everything inside and putting on the perfect Christian front only makes others around you not want to open up about what they could be going through.
It might feel intimidating to have someone tell you their struggles, as there can be a pressure to say or do the right thing. But sometimes truly loving someone means being there to listen. As Christians we are called to “carry each other’s burdens,” and sometimes simply being a shoulder to cry on can be just that.
So while we take a month to spread awareness about suicide, remember to check on the people around you. In the broken and divided world we now live in, Christians aren’t called to judge others for their feelings. We are called to love people through their darkest moments and sometimes that love starts by simply checking in or answering the phone.
If you are struggling, it is better to confide in others than to suffer alone. The people around you, more importantly Jesus, loves you and cares for you so deeply.
If you or someone you know is struggling, Baylor has a plethora of mental health resources, including the CARE Team, the Counseling Center and Uwill, which provides free online counseling to Baylor students. Additionally, the suicide hotline is available at 988.
