suicide – Ask Pastor Chris

Pastor Chris,

I am a reborn christian I do believe and read to your teachings. I am separated from my husband. I forgave him completely. There is no bitterness in me but, I do have the desire to end my live. I am tired I want to go home. Will I be forgiven if I take my life?

~ Trudie

ANSWER

Trudie,

Your life is sacred to God. He is not through with you, yet; or He would have already taken you home. Your life is important to others, too.

The enemy will work on you to distort your perspective on life and damage your emotions. Do not let satan win this battle. The enemy wants you to think that you are all alone. You’re not. Jesus can handle this and He has friends who will walk with you.

All of us go through times of discouragement and depression. King David did. So did Moses. Elijah, too. And John the Baptist.

Sooo, how do you battle these things?

– Remember that God knows what you are feeling and what you are going through. Tell Him what you are feeling. He is always listening.

– Read Psalm 23 five times a day for an entire month. Read it when you first awake. Again after breakfast. At lunch. At supper. And the last thing you do before going to bed at night. Read it slowly each time and dwell on the words. Ask God to show you His love and His character through this Psalm.

– Get a copy of the book Happiness is a Choice by Minirth and Meier. This book is a terrific resource to help you battle situational depression. If you think you are clinically depressed please find a Christian medical professional for help. Focus on the Family has a network of Christian medical professionals across America that are reliable. To reach them call 1-800-232-6459).

– Walk across the street and find someone you can serve. You cannot help someone else without helping yourself.

– Eat well. Cut back on sugar and foods that easily convert to sugar in your body.

– Exercise.

– Continue to attend worship services at your church and join a small group or Sunday School Class.

– Memorize Philippians 4:8; 13; and Isaiah 40:31.

My heart is with you!

~ Pastor Chris

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Pastor Chris,

Will I go to hell if I kill myself?

~ Mike

ANSWER

Mike,

Let me remind you that all sin leads to hell. We are sinners (Romans 3:23) and therefore headed for hell unless someone saves us. We cannot save ourselves. The Good News is that we have a Savior and Jesus is His name. The Bible says that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, NIV).

There are two sides to the problem of suicide that must be considered. One is from the perspective of someone who is contemplating suicide. The other is from the point of view of a loved one who has had a friend or a relative commit suicide.

1. For the person who is contemplating committing suicide. Please remember that suicide is not God’s will or plan for our lives. It devastates those who are left behind. A person close to me who has experienced the suicide of a loved one says it is the most selfish thing a person can do. Such a one fails to consider the impact suicide has on others.

Also, consider the fact that not all suicides are successful. Sometimes they leave a person in a crippled state or a vegetative state thus becoming an ongoing burden to loved ones.

I would ask someone considering suicide if he or she wants to stand before Jesus with murder on their hands. Suicide is murder. Jesus is heartbroken when we sin.

When a believer in Christ terminates his or her own life that action profoundly hurts the testimony of the church, which is the body of Christ. Non-believers observing this action can easily conclude that Christianity doesn’t work.

2. For the person who has had a loved one commit suicide. Suicide is not the unpardonable sin. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin (Mark 3:28-29). A person ends up in hell because they refuse to receive Christ, not because they have sinned. Sins can be forgiven. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sin. When we receive Christ as our Savior we are born again and all our sins are forgiven, past, present, and future.

Someone contemplating suicide is in a dark place, consumed with pain. When that happens a believer in Christ may lose perspective. He can forget that he is a child of God, dearly loved by Jesus and others. In a state of depression he hears the voice of the enemy and fails to distinguish it from the voice of God. He listens to the lies whispered to him and falls deeper down that black hole. He feels worthless to the point of despair and makes an attempt on his or her life.

It is Satan who wants someone to murder himself, not God. Satan is a liar and the author of death (John 8:44). God is the author of life. If Satan can discourage someone enough to cause them to give up on life then he has done his worst. Nevertheless, you will see your loved one in heaven because Christ said that He holds on to His children forever (John 10:27-30).

~ Pastor Chris