How can I help a Christian who is contemplating suicide on the grounds that life is a gift from God and it is therefore our choice (as with any gift) to keep it or end it?
I'm not aware of any verses that specifically refute this position, although all the suicides I see in the Bible (King Saul, Judas) are negatively portrayed.
1 Samuel 31:4 - 6
ESV - 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me." But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him.
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Tim Maas
In a human context, if one person were to give another a gift with the intention that a specific use be made of it, would it fulfill that intention if the recipient were simply to throw the gift away? For a Christian, the purpose of the gift of life from God is to bear fruit for Him (by the display of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) through the manner in which we live, including bringing others to faith in Christ (which He commanded His followers to do) (John 15:16; Matthew 28:19-20). Taking one's own life makes that impossible, and is therefore not a choice that is within the prerogative of an obedient Christian to make. Are you aware of opportunities that might be available to the person in question to perform useful service for Christ with whatever gifts or talents that person has received (including counselling or giving comfort to others who are in a similar state of mind)? Directing the person's thoughts outward could aid in taking their focus away from their own situation.
Donna Williams
It is very unfortunate that a person who professes to be a Christian would be contemplating suicide! I understand that sometimes we can fall into depression that will cause us to feel hopeless; I am one who suffered with depression for many years, but I have been restored and my mind has been renewed. To God be the glory! In my opinion this person has been deceived by the devil. It is not the will of God for anyone to take his or her own life, but God will never go against anyone's will. Jesus said in John 16:33, "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." I would also like to share, John 10:10: "The thief comes but to steal, to kill, and to destroy, but I am come that you might have life and that more abundantly." It saddens me that so many of God's people are ignorant of the truth of God's Word, which leaves them as prey for the deception of the devil. May I encourage you to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and give you guidance in how to minister to this person? It is apparent that he or she needs to hear the truth! I am praying that the Holy Spirit will open up the eyes of this person and lead him or her into the knowledge of the truth.
Pamela Davis
I’m a born-again Christian of 50 years and have experienced suicidal depressions off and on since age 13, when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder with treatment resistant depression. My mother had the same disease from about age 22 or so, but took lithium (an antidepressant) and was stabilized until her death. I started taking lithium from about age 18 until getting pregnant with my first child, when I had to stop taking it due to possible effects on the fetus. This happened two more times with my other pregnancies, after which I stayed on the lithium, with good success, until about 1994, when the medicine stopped working. To make a long story short, I was prescribed one medication after another, with limited success; I would become depressed to the point of suicide quite often, then being hospitalized to prevent me from carrying through with it. My last depression, about this past Thanksgiving until the beginning of April, was so severe that I overdosed on Tylenol and, again, was hospitalized. Due to my poor diet I also had a dangerously low sodium level, which had to be stabilized. I was taken off of my antidepressants and instead put on a mood stabilizer (lamictal); within a couple of days I came out of my depression and my sodium level was stabilized. Since then I’ve been well and have been praising the Lord for His mercy and grace! But one extremely important thing: if you or someone you know suffers from extreme (suicidal) depression, you/he/she should be seen by a qualified psychiatrist who could treat you with medication and counseling, if needed. Being a Christian doesn’t necessarily free you from a clinical (physiological) disorder, no matter how much prayer and counseling you may receive. God’s Word for healing diseases is, ultimately, the final cure; l thought that l was healed many times but the manifestation didn’t happen. So, both the Word of the Lord AND doctors need to be consulted when dealing with chronic illnesses. Take it from me…Jesus Christ did a miracle in my life when He saved me and lifted me up from the pit of despair, and I know that He can and will do it for you if you trust Him to!
Shirley H
I am just relating what the BOOK says... Hebrews 6:4 presents the case of Jewish 'professed' believers. They had come to the threshold of belief, but then turned away. They professed, but never really confessed faith. Hebrews 3:19: "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." Jeremiah 21:8: "...I set before you the way of life, and the way of death." Deuteronomy 30:15-19: "See I have set before thee, this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee This day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgements, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord they God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over the Jordan to go and possess it. I call upon heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and they seed may live." Do not harden your heart like Pharaoh. Today is the day to hear His voice. Do not tempt the Lord your God. Yes, it is all your choice. But who, understanding all that God has done, and seeing the sacrifice of love that Jesus displayed on that old rugged cross, can just walk away? Read Isaiah chapter 43. God is right here in the midst. Psalm 102:1, 24: "Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee. I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days; thy years are throughout all generations." Everyone either lives with or without God eternally. You choose!
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