via TJC
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
Euthanasia: the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. The practice is illegal in most countries.
“My intent was to carry out my duty as a doctor, to end their suffering. Unfortunately, that entailed, in their cases, ending of the life.” Jack Kevorkian
Really, Dr.? So many things come to mind when I read that statement. Does he think he’s God? How does he even pretend to know the patient’s mental state? What if this particular patient miraculously recovers (it happens)?
That last paragraph was an intentional side road. I diverted us to the secular world for just a second, so that we could get a glimpse of how the enemy would want us to consider this subject.
There is nothing ambiguous about one human deciding the mortal fate of his or herself or any other human being. This isn’t a game for believers to even consider being a part of it. Let’s be clear about that… this involves the conscious decision to kill someone, and that would include oneself. Abortion, suicide, “assisted suicide”, “mercy killing”, whatever you wish to call it… is a flat-out abomination (6th commandment). No exceptions. I’m not going to flood this piece with scriptures backing up the previous comments. As a Kingdom Man… you KNOW.
This “dying with dignity” thing, however, does require some further clarification. So I have a couple of stories that might help with that:
My father-in-law, whom I’ve spoken of before, died 25 years ago of cancer (he’s one of my heroes). Awesome dude. Strong man inside and out, spiritually, and physically. He suffered… a lot. Yet, most people would never have guessed what intense agony he endured. He was intent on looking to his future in Heaven with his Savior. If anyone ever had a valid argument for euthanasia, he did. Those last few weeks of his life, however, caused us as an immediate family to realize that, out of love, we were capable of doing things that we would have never imagined. The experience itself forced those around him to grow in so many ways. Believe me… through the entire process, he did not lose one ounce of dignity or respect.
My sweet Mom (88 years young) is another example. She isn’t morbid about dying at all. She has walked with Jesus for a long time. The combination of heart failure and rheumatoid arthritis has taken its painful toll on her frail body. “I miss your Dad. I’m tired. I want to go home.” She says. But she knows it is not her hand on the “switch” and she’s perfectly fine with that.
Daily Battle Order:
Taking a life is flat-out wrong. As Kingdom Men, we must adjust our perspective on life and death further up and further out. God’s purpose in suffering and dying is so much more than temporary affliction or our feelings, no matter how heavy at the time. Your success in finding that purpose is predicated on your proximity to God’s heart. Pray that He will show you the good in suffering as well as joy.
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