The Breath In Our Lungs

"Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7 CSB).

It was seemingly a normal evening in Durham, North Carolina.

But not for a certain man.

With a shotgun in his lap, he was ready to end his life.

This type of action was not in any way simple.

He drank a fifth of Hennessy for liquid courage, and as the drink settled in his system, he positioned the barrel of the gun to touch his chin.

Tears fell from his eyes.

As the tears fell, the door to his apartment opened. A woman named Tiffany had a strong urge to visit him that particular evening unannounced.

Tiffany was no stranger to the man, as she often styled his locs. But after countless missed appointments, she grew concerned.

As the man's tears fell at the touch of the barrel to his chin, Tiffany walked through his apartment door, which by the grace of God, was unlocked. Tiffany saw the man, calmly grabbed his hand, and sat in silence with him.

Presence was precisely what he needed in that moment.

"The Lord saw in me what I could not see in myself. He saw a day that I would serve him. He saw a day where I would preach for him. He saw a day where I would be a herald for him. He saw in me value that people could not see in me. He sent Tiffany to my apartment. If he did not send her that night, I would not be standing here." - Phillip Anthony Mitchell

Today, Phillip Anthony Mitchell is a loving husband to his wife, Lena Mitchell. He is the proud father of four, and a dog dad to one. He is the Lead & Founding Pastor of 2819 Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and the co-host of the Street Preachers Podcast. He is without a doubt one of the greatest preachers of our time, boldly proclaiming Jesus Christ at all costs. God has tremendously anointed Phillip to aid in making thousands of disciples across the world.

Years ago on that evening in his apartment, Phillip hadn't the slightest idea what his future would hold.

But God did.

When God created Phillip, he had a plan for his life, even before he was conceived.

We see this notion of having a plan before conception echoed throughout scripture, illustrating that God is incredibly intentional about each person he creates:

To the prophet Jeremiah he said, "I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations." - Jeremiah 1:5 CSB

Concerning John the Baptist, "There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother's womb. He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people." - Luke 1:14-17 CSB

At its peak, suicidal thoughts have the ability to ponder pain, but not the other side of it. These deep thoughts are unable to fathom the plans of God.

Suicide, by definition, is death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die.

Suicide remains one of the top leading causes of death, and claimed the lives of over 43,000 individuals in 2023 alone.

According to an article written in Psychology Today by Alex Lickerman M.D., there are six primary reasons why people attempt suicide [1] :

1.) Depression: Depression is without a doubt the most common contributing factor to suicide. In this life, we navigate such deep pain, whether physical or mental. Many are wrestling with significant trauma, to name a few:

• Rape

• Domestic Abuse

• Child Abuse

• Molestation

• Sex Trafficking

• Grief from the tragic loss of a loved one

• Addictions

• A failed marriage or relationship

• Extortion

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

• Bullying

• Paralyzing thoughts

• Conflicting thoughts

  
  

2.) Psychosis: There are individuals who experience inner voices that repeatedly command the killing of oneself. These voices are common in the minds and ears of those with schizophrenia.

3.) Impulsion: For those under the heavy influence of drugs and alcohol, one may experience an intense impulse to end their life.

4.) Crying Out for Help: There are individuals who attempt suicide as a means to ask for help, as they feel there is no other method or way to express their pain.

5.) Philosophical Desire to Die: Individuals with a terminal illness may seek to end their lives, as they feel no hope for reprieve.

6.) Made a Mistake: There is a trend that young people often partake in to intentionally deprive themselves of oxygen to reach a high, thus resulting in accidental death.

One common theme that springs from suicide is a loss of hope. The traumas, emotions, and thoughts we carry can feel unbearable.

Suicide feels the weight of unimaginable suffering, discounting a subtle but major hum in the background.

Breath.

The sheer fact that we are breathing, whether hollow or steadily, is a tremendous reason for hope, because the breath in our lungs is more significant than we think.

On average, we involuntarily inhale and exhale approximately 22,000 times each day.

Breathing is an automatic action triggered by networks of neurons located in the hindbrain. These networks spearhead muscles that create the walls of the thorax and abdomen and generate pressure in order to move air in and out of our lungs. [2]

As you inhale, your diaphragm contracts and moves in a downward motion. This expands your chest cavity, allowing your lungs to contract within it.

As your lungs expand, air travels through your nose or mouth, down your trachea, to your windpipe, and into your lungs. The next stop is your bronchial tubes, and from there, air travels to your air sacs, which are covered by capillaries - our smallest blood vessels. Oxygen particles are carried in our blood by the arteries. Carbon dioxide travels in the opposite direction of oxygen in our bodies, thus enabling us to inhale oxygen, while exhaling carbon dioxide.

But our ability to breathe is far deeper than science can begin to explain. Science portrays our human explanation of what we see and experience, but it discounts the supernatural.

We must acknowledge the spiritual implications of our lives, as our ability to breathe is not strictly scientific.

The intricacies of our bodies, including the ability to breathe, testifies of a genius creator who not only made us, but sustains us.

Genesis 2:7 CSB gives us a glimpse of this fact:

"Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being."

The man became a living being only after the LORD God breathed the breath of life into his nostrils. Prior to that, the man had form, but no life.

God has the authority to not only give life, but to resurrect life. This is an important truth to consider, as it shows God's total authority over life. He creates life, sustains it, but also revives it.

In 1 Kings 17:21-22 CSB, a widow's son was brought back to life by the power of God through the prophet Elijah, "Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the LORD and said, LORD my God, please let this boy's life come into him again!" So the LORD listened to Elijah, and the boy's life came into him again, and he lived."

In 2 Kings 4:32-37 CSB, a Shunammite woman's son was brought back to life by the power of God through the prophet Elisha, "When Elisha got to the house, he discovered the boy lying dead on his bed. So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. Then he went up and lay on the boy: he put mouth to mouth, eye to eye, hand to hand. While he bent down over him, the boy's flesh became warm. Elisha got up, went into the house, and paced back and forth. Then he went up and bent down over him again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes."

In John 11:43-44 CSB, we read how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unwrap him and let him go."

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest demonstration of God's power over life, "Why are you looking for the living among the dead?" asked the men. He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying, 'It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day'?" - Luke 24:5-7 CSB

As the apostle Paul states in Acts 17:28, it is in Christ that we live, move, and have our being.

The breath in our lungs is an invitation to live.

With God being the life giver, sustainer, and reviver, he would never endorse suicide.

I believe it is safe to say that a thought to take your own life comes from the devil. We should know that Satan is utterly fixated on ending our lives by any and all means necessary.

At his core, he is a murderer and devourer:

"He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies." - John 8:44 CSB

"Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary, the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world." - 1 Peter 5:8-9 CSB

Satan's goal is to destroy us, and the common way he goes about doing this is through our thoughts.

The following are thought loops common to those contemplating suicide:

1. "They'd be better off without me."

2. "This pain is too much to bear."

3. "No one loves me."

4. "I'd be doing everyone a favor if I were no longer here."

These thought loops are false beliefs.

Or in other words, these negative thought patterns are also called strongholds.

What a befitting name. Our thoughts can certainly have a hold on us and block us from seeing God.

That is precisely why the apostle Paul reminds us of the following in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 CSB, "For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ."

The enemy would like our attention to be fixated on the weightiness of present pain and suffering, that it neither considers, fathoms, senses, nor sees God and his ability to help carry the load.

We must know and understand that we serve a God who desires us to cast our cares upon him:

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you." - 1 Peter 5:6-7 CSB

"Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 CSB

"Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable - if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy - dwell on these things." - Philippians 4:8 CSB

The fact that God desires us to cast our cares shows that cares will indeed come. Deep sorrows are inevitable, but it is what we do with our cares that makes all the difference. The practical measures we take to navigate our pain matters, such a therapy, counseling, time in community, exercise, and even medication.

But the war in our minds is spiritual, so we must accompany any practical manner with spiritual weapons.

It is important to remember that God understands our pain not solely because he is all-knowing, but because he, too, suffered.

Isaiah 53:5 CSB says, "But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds."

He atoned for the sins of the entire world, which is a level of suffering we could never come close to enduring. Through this suffering, he conquered sin and death. Since he conquered the world, we can navigate our sufferings through his strength:

"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world." - John 16:33

Since he overcame, we can too.

Life is truly a gift. The breath in our lungs is a testament of this fact.

Remember this truth:

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us." - Romans 8:18 CSB

1. Alex Lickerman M.D., The Six Reasons People Attempt Suicide, (Psychology Today, 2010).

2. Neil S. Cherniack, Control of Breathing, (Britannica, 2026).