Many people suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts, though others hardly recognize it. This can happen for many reasons, but one specific reason is that the person feels like they are more of a burden on people and it would be better if they no longer lived. They may also feel like people that once loved them don’t care about them anymore, so why continue to live. Because they feel like they have caused enough damage in a person’s life, do they think that it would be better if they weren’t around anymore. These are the kind of thoughts that come to a person that is bullied in school or has no friends. However, these types of feelings are not of God, but of Satan. This is important to know when dealing with these thoughts. He is the one that causes people to treat people badly and then causes the affected person to suffer. The devil also causes people to feel unloved because of their own bad choices, like when they are found out that they are gay, pregnant, into drugs, or been messing around with their boyfriend or girlfriend sexually. These types of sins cause people to feel much guilt and shame, if they have a conscience that is. However, what people are doing with these thoughts of despair is what is wrong in this world. Because they try to cover up their hurt feelings and that persists, eventually people give in and take their own life. Because their trials are not given over to God, this is why such rash decisions are made. Therefore, it is only when the Lord, our God, is not a part of our lives, is when we make the worst decisions of our lives.
Now, does the Bible say anything about this topic? Well, of course it does, my friends. If you were reading the Bible daily, you would get so much strength from God’s Word and be able to fight these feelings of despair and doubt. I could pick a few different stories that relate to suicide but one such story is about a jailer that almost committed suicide. This man would have killing himself by way of his sword, if it wasn’t for Paul and the gospel of Jesus Christ, of which was preached to Him. This is that story… 2“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.” (Acts 16:25-34)
Any person that is suicidal only needs one thing to change how they are feeling and that is Jesus. Like Paul mentioned in Acts, chapter 16, which we read above, the gospel message of Christ changes everything. It was the Lord God and His hope for mankind that saved a man, who was ready to kill himself. This is an example of how being open to God can change how we are feeling about our lives. It is when a person goes to God in prayer, that He is able to take them out of their bondage and lead them in His light. This is why prayer and the Bible is so powerful to those that are lost and feeling depressed. In God’s Word, they would understand that suicide is never the right way to go. It actually goes against God, for it is murder. We all know the commandment, but not everybody applies this to themselves in suicide. It is short but to the point, 1“Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13) As much as we are not to harm another person, harming ourselves is the same thing. And it is murder that keeps a person out of heaven. That is why suicide is so wrong. It is very sad to think that a person I love could be in hell right now, because they took their own life. To understand this better, let us read what Paul taught the Galatians. He said, 3“now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21) In our sins, we come to God, that it may not get out of hand.
Please know that ending our lives prematurely is never right. And if God is not the one that has taken us in death, then it is never our rightful time to go and is murder. This way of ending our lives is frowned upon by not just those that are left behind, but God. It causes the same grief that a person is feeling to be on their loved ones and friends, when they hear about how they died. And because of what the person has done, it leaves a lifetime of unanswered questions for those that are affected. There burdens are also hard to bear after the fact, unless they get some form of help from faithful believers in Christ and God. If the person that took their own life was our child, how sorrowful this be. It would take many years to get over a loss like this, because of our great love for that person. We’d wonder what we did wrong in our parenting and why we never noticed them feeling the way they did. Pictures and videos could never bring them back to life again. The same can be said for our spouse. We would feel so awful, and feel like we didn’t do enough to make them feel loved. Then, all their responsibilities would come crumbling down upon us, even though we can’t ever be what that parent was like to our kids. Therefore, burdens begin to fall upon those affected. Now, please know that any loved one that takes their own life is very hard to bear. The hardest news in a person’s life is when they find out that someone they love has just died. And what makes things even more difficult is when that news comes about a person, because of suicide. My prayer is that people will begin to tell others how they are feeling. Also, if they are not right with God, that they come to Him about it in prayer. Don’t take your own life when God could set you free and give you new life in return.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray for every lost person in this world. To those people that are living a burdensome life, they are so needful of Your love, God, and others also. If they just knew how merciful You really are, then all their confessions would be given to You in prayer. They would not hold back at all, but also the Bible also. Your teachings are what uplift us and help us carry on. Being in prayer and in Your Word daily helps our thoughts not get out of hand, for You are able to help us make the best decisions. So, without You leading us, there is no hope to be found that lasts. We can find it for a time, but that is only temporary. Even our lusts come at a price of falling deeper into sin and then having guilt and shame pile up in our lives. These are the types of things, Lord, that causes people to be depressed. Because they are not able to get over their addictions, they just want to give up. For these people, I pray for the welfare of their souls. May they find You Lord in their brokenness and trust in those people that truly love You and only want to share the love of Your gospel with them. And Lord, I know how hard it is to be happy when people are continuing to bully us and make us feel terrible inside with their hurtful words. Truly, Satan has a strong hold upon the wicked and their attacks are disheartening us in our weakest moments. It truly takes a lot of moments in prayer and just seeking You to get over this. I just pray that those that have also been affected by these people, that they don’t give up on themselves. That they instead come to You with their burdens, that they may be light. Help people understand that killing themselves is never the answer. The real solution is coming to You, Lord, for new life. Only You can do this. I trust in You, Jesus. I love You. Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.
1Exodus 20:1-17 (KJV)
1 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
13 Thou shalt not kill.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15 Thou shalt not steal.
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
2Acts 16:16-34 (KJV)
16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
3Galatians 5:19-26 (KJV)
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
