Suicide - Don't Do It!

If you are reading this article right now, you are probably feeling very hopeless and depressed with the circumstances of your life. You probably see no way out of your dilemma and the struggles you are experiencing. You are probably thinking; I just want to end the pain and turmoil inside. I understand exactly what you are feeling and thinking, but there is another solution. However, this will require you to allow me the opportunity to help you reason through your decision, before you end your life? Let me give you several reasons why you should not kill yourself.

1. The Bible clearly prohibits suicide, because it prohibits murder. Suicide is self-murder. To commit suicide you are intentionally taking your own life. However, God commanded, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). This command is God’s instruction to you. You should not kill yourself! But, you assume; God does not understand what I am going through right now. Let me assure you, He does know all that is going on in your life, but suicide will never be the answer to your problems. How can I say this? God knows every scenario and ever circumstance you could ever experience, and He has a solution to these trials. He wants you to grow through these difficult times and find the way out that He has ordained. As you grow through these times of trial, God will eventually use you as a light to others who are struggling just as you are right now. Therefore, you must respect God’s right to command you when He tells you that self-murder is not the way to solve your problems.

2. For you to commit suicide you are destroying your life, which in reality does not belong to you. What do I mean? The Bible teaches that if you are a Christian your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and actually belongs to God. Therefore, to destroy your body is to destroy something that actually belongs to God. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Your body is called a “purchased possession” of God (Eph. 1:14). He is your creator and redeemer, so your body belongs to Him. 
If you are not a Christian, you still belong to God; you just have not yet come to a realization of God ownership of your life. God spoke through the Prophet Ezekiel and said, “Behold, all souls are Mine” (Ezek. 18:4). Therefore, God alone has the right to give or take away life. Job recognized this as God’s right in Job 1:21. He said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Therefore, you must acknowledge that your life and your body belong to God!

3. You are to do yourself no harm. This is what the Philippian jailer was told when he was about to take his own life. Paul cried out to this man who about to fall on his own sword, “Do yourself no harm!” (Acts 16:28). To commit suicide is obviously to do yourself harm. If your body belongs to God and He has commanded you not to harm it, you have a clear command to not commit suicide. 

I know that you are in a serious circumstance right now, or you would not even be considering suicide. The Philippian jailer was in just as serious position. But, suicide was not the solution. I know you believe that you are caught in an either or situation where you see no way out. But, there is another solution that you have not seen yet. God's solution! With every problem or trial you go through God always provides a way out or the grace to sustain you in the trial (1 Cor. 10:13) (2 Cor. 12:9). God has a plan for you. He has resources and the power to work in your behalf that are beyond your comprehension. All things are possible with Him (Matt. 19:26). His grace is sufficient to help you (2 Cor. 12:9). Remember, He knew this was going to happen to you, and He has a fore-ordained plan that He will work out, if you will simply trust Him (Eph. 2:10). Therefore, do not let despair overtake you.

4. Jesus came to save life, not destroy life. The biggest reason why you should not commit suicide is because, God sent Jesus to save you and save your life from the destruction in this world. Jesus said plainly many times in His ministry: “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost” (Matthew 18:11). Again He taught: “For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them” (Luke 9:56). God wants to redeem you from the meaningless life you have known up till now. He wants to transform your life and give you a reason for living! However, this will require you to submit yourself and your life into His hand by faith, and turn from your sinful lifestyle and follow Christ. He wants you to turn away from your independent lifestyle and begin to trust Him with your life and become obedient to Him. God promises, that if you will ask His forgiveness and receive Him by faith, you can experience new life inside and will one day enter heaven. John taught, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). If you are ready to take this step would you pray right now and say these words to God? Pray, Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and I have broken Your Holy Laws. Please forgive me. I believe that Jesus died for me and took the punishment I deserved. Jesus, please come in and take over my life, I want to become your follower.  Fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to obey your commands from this day forward, in Jesus Name. 

5. God wants to now begin to fulfill His eternal purposes in your life. How does this work? Now that you have received Christ into your life, God will now begin to bestow His blessings in your life, because you have now begun to obey Him. You must understand that every time you disobey God’s commands there is a consequence for doing so. Every time you obey God, He will bring blessings upon you. Just like there are natural laws that God has ordained in life, such as the Law of Gravity, so there are spiritual laws and commands you do not want to violate. Disobeying God’s commands will bring sure consequences just like jumping off a 20 story building and violating the Law of Gravity. As you trust and obey God’s Word He will begin to work in you both to will and do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). You will become “His workmanship” and He will begin to turn your life around so that you can experience His blessings and His eternal purposes which He has planned for you (Eph. 2:10). You do not want to miss this new experience of God’s blessings in your life, by committing suicide.  

6. You should not commit suicide because your new faith in God will enable you to fight and overcome the pressures and temptations of this world. Paul said, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called” (1 Tim. 6:12). Faith requires a fight and a battle that you must win. Everything in this world is moving in the opposite direction. Trusting God and asking for His help will enable you to overcome all that comes against you in this life. You now have God Himself to help you. This is God’s promise! Listen to His words spoken to His people: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Again He assured, “‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6). With the Lord helping you through your struggles in life, you will be able to overcome whatever comes your way. John wrote: “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5). If you believe in Jesus you will be able to overcome the trials you are in the midst of right now. 

7. If you commit suicide you will hurt the people closest to you, those who love and care about you to most. Do you realize that if you commit suicide that your family and friends will have to live with your decision for the rest of their lives? Please consider the ramifications of your decision upon those closest to you, if you go on to harm yourself. You may not care about yourself, but choose to love those who do love you. You may be thinking they will be better off without me. This kind of thinking is incorrect! Why? If someone loves and cares about you, he or she will always have a sense of loss if you were not here. Suicide will deeply wound your loved ones for the rest of their lives. Therefore, choose to love those who love you by choosing life, and to get help to work through your trials and problems. I understand that you see this problem as an either or situation. Either you go on in hopelessness or you commit suicide. You see no other answer or possible solutions. But there is another solution. Judas saw no remedy for the guilt of betraying Christ and killed himself (Matt. 27:3-5). God’s solution was forgiveness. Job saw no relief for the physical misery he was enduring and wanted to die (Job 3:20-21). God solution was His healing touch. Solomon hated life because he saw no purpose in living and wanted to give up (Ecc. 2:17). God’s solution was for him to return to the Lord and fulfill the greater purpose God had created him for. The Philippian jailer wanted to fall on his sword because he believed he would be put to death if his prisoners escaped (Acts 16:25-30). God’s solution was that no one escaped. God always has another solution that people do not always see at first. My point is that you have not yet seen the solution God has for you and your problems. Don't give up! Ask Him to show what His solution is for your dilemma. 

8. Get some counseling. I know you are probably thinking God will forgive me even if I do kill myself. From God’s Word, I cannot confirm that He will forgive you. Why do I say this? Scripture gives no such assurance that God forgives those who commit suicide. I can only speak where the Scripture specifically speaks (1 Peter 4:11). However, the Scripture does specifically command, "do yourself no harm" which makes it very clear, you should not kill yourself! Don’t try and figure out what God will or will not do on your own. What I would encourage you to do is this; go get some counseling from your pastor or from a trusted friend who knows the truth of God’s Word. He or she will help you to work through the questions that you have concerning what is right and wrong and how to handle your individual trials and struggles. Scripture teaches: “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14). God also said, “Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days” (Prov. 19:20). Therefore, get some good counsel because this is the wisest and safest thing that you could do. Let the Lord direct your next steps!