The excerpt below was taken with permission from David Powlison’s book Eu Quero Morrer, Aconselhamento Series, Faithful Editor.
Do you have suicidal thoughts and feelings? Maybe you’re convinced life isn’t worth it, you feel your world falling apart. Does it look like your desperate life? As if a black hole absorbed all love, hope and joy. If you’re considering the suicide hypothesis, you’ve certainly thought a lot about your life. But you’ve ever stopped to think about how God sees. His life?
- Right now.
- You’re living in a world of despair and you don’t see any solution to your problems.
- You have no goals The future seems empty.
But God’s view of your life is very different, his life is precious to him. Does God know all about you? Including the amount of hair on your head. He loves you so much that He sent his only son to die for you (John 3:16). Your life means so much to God that God forbids you says that any act of murder is evil, including suicide (Ex 20:13).
Maybe he’s thinking about how long he’s been depressed and sad. Does it feel like a burden to others? Even if they don’t say it, do you feel like everyone will be better off without you?
Your way of thinking is tragically wrong, is it a lie to think of someone?neighbors, parents, children, spouse, friends, colleagues, nurses or acquaintances?would benefit from his suicide. A person who commits suicide is disturbing and disgusting. Those you leave behind won’t be relieved. On the contrary, they will end up with terrible burdens, what are these burdens?
First, those who know you and care about you will never understand why. They’ll ask you the same questions over and over again: Why did you do this?Why didn’t you ask for help?The questions about what? He’ll always follow those you leave behind.
Secondly, they’ll feel guilty. In addition to the pain of loss, they will suffer the pain of feeling responsible for you, wonder if their suicide was an answer to something they did or did not do, they will end up with a sense of personal failure overwhelming them.
Third, those who leave will not think that he has done them a favor with his suicide; in fact, they’ll feel like you don’t like them. How can you love them and hurt them so much? Suicide is a selfish act, it puts an end to relationships and leaves no hope of reconciliation, those you leave behind will feel a very deep void.
Fourth, suicide shapes the option of fleeing, as if suicide were the way to solve life’s problems. Suicide says the best way to deal with guilt, failure, disappointment and hardship is to commit suicide. This model has a powerful negative influence. So instead of doing something good for those around you, you’re actually setting an example that could negatively influence how people handle their own struggles.
Suicidal thoughts are full of lies. It can be hard for you to recognize lies, so stick to some simple truths about God and about you. Remember this whenever you think suicide is a good solution to your problems.
1. In love, God came in person to be the one who saves from death
But now, thus said the Lord, who created thee, O Jacob, and who raised thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I called you by name, are you mine?(This 43. 1)
But God shows his love for us with the fact that Christ died for us when we were still sinners (Rom 5:8).
God says suicide is wrong because you take a life
You won’t kill (Ex 20. 13)
3. When you pour out what is in your heart to God, He will listen to you:
I said hastily: I am excluded from your presence; However, you heard my supplicant voice when I asked you for help (Salt 31:22).
In the afternoon, morning and noon, I will complain and repent; and you will hear my voice (Psalm 55:17)