00:01Today, I want to discuss a question that I get pretty often.
00:06Doug, what does the Bible say about suicide?
00:10I debated whether or not to talk about this today, but man, it's important to so many people.
00:18And I want to answer this question clearly and carefully.
00:22Let me start this conversation by saying, if you are currently in danger, in danger of hurting yourself or someone
00:31else, please call 988.
00:36It's a number where there are people in the United States that will be able to help you get help.
00:42Or call 911 or go to a neighbor's house or find somebody you can talk to, anyone, and let them
00:52know that it is not safe for you to be alone right now.
00:57Now, I want to get back to the question here.
01:01What does the Bible say about suicide?
01:04Well, that question is heavy because it's not just an idea.
01:08It's not just something people debate openly.
01:12And I did think about how I was going to approach this one.
01:18But, you know, I believe that suicide is connected to real pain.
01:23It's connected to people who feel trapped inside their own mind.
01:28It's connected to families who have lost someone and still carry questions they may never fully answer.
01:36So, again, I want to speak about this very carefully.
01:41The Bible teaches that life is sacred.
01:45Now, that's the first clear truth.
01:48Human life matters because God created it.
01:53You are not valuable only when you feel strong.
01:56You're not valuable only when life is going well.
02:00You are not valuable only when other people understand you.
02:05Your life has worth because you were made by God.
02:13Now, that means suicide is not presented in Scripture as God's answer to suffering.
02:19The Bible does not treat death as a way to solve pain.
02:23It does not tell a person to give up because the road got hard.
02:28It does not say your life stops mattering when you're depressed, exhausted, ashamed, lonely, or overwhelmed.
02:39But the Bible also does not speak about deep despair in a cold way.
02:45And that matters.
02:47Some people talk about suicide like they're trying to win a theological argument.
02:53That may sound strong to them, but I'm going to tell you right now,
02:58it does not help the person who is shaking at two in the morning and wondering whether they can survive
03:06the night.
03:07The Bible shows us people who hit very dark places.
03:12I want you to think about this because this is really important.
03:18Elijah was so worn out that he asked God to let him die.
03:25Job was in so much pain that he wished he had never been born.
03:29Jonah said it would have been better for him to die than live.
03:36Now, these are uncomfortable parts of Scripture, but they're there for a reason.
03:42God did not hide the depth of human pain from us.
03:47And with Elijah, God's response is very important here.
03:53Elijah was exhausted, afraid, and alone.
03:56God did not begin by crushing him with shame.
04:02God gave him food.
04:05God let him sleep.
04:07God met the weakness before he addressed it with direction.
04:13Now, that tells us something that we need to remember as well.
04:18Sometimes a person who is suicidal does not need a speech.
04:23They need to be kept safe.
04:25They need rest.
04:27They need someone close.
04:30They need help that is calm, practical, and real.
04:37Now, science says something similar.
04:40When a person is in deep emotional pain, the mind can narrow.
04:46The future can disappear from view.
04:49And depression, trauma, grief, shame, addiction, fear, and exhaustion can all make death feel like relief.
04:59But that feeling is not the same thing as truth, you see.
05:04A mind under extreme pressure can lie, and it will lie.
05:09Pain can make a person believe there are no doors left, when clearly, there are doors left.
05:17They just cannot simply see them right now.
05:20And that's why you should not stay alone with suicidal thoughts.
05:25I want to remind you, if you're in danger right now, tell someone.
05:32Call or text 988 in the United States.
05:38Call 911 if you're somewhere else.
05:43Move away from anything you could use to hurt yourself.
05:47Get near another person as soon as possible.
05:51Say this sentence to them clearly and plainly.
05:56Say, I am not safe by myself right now.
06:01Now, that sentence may save your life.
06:06And needing help does not mean you are weak.
06:10Saying, I am not safe by myself right now, is telling someone that your pain has gotten bigger than what
06:19one person should carry alone.
06:22Now, when Jesus speaks about life, he speaks with clarity.
06:28He said he came that people may have life.
06:31That matters here, but not as a slogan.
06:35It matters because any voice pushing you toward death is not leading you toward the life God desires for you.
06:44And Jesus also invited the weary and the burdened to come to him.
06:49Now, that means he was not only speaking to strong people.
06:55He was not only speaking to people who had themselves together.
06:59He was speaking to tired people.
07:03Heavy people.
07:05People carrying more than they knew how to explain.
07:09So, if your thoughts are dark right now, that does not place you outside the reach of God.
07:17It means you need help right now.
07:21And there's another part of this that needs care.
07:25The Bible records people who died by suicide.
07:29But it does not give us permission to act like we know everything about every soul.
07:35God is the judge.
07:38We are not.
07:39God knows the pain, the mind, the illness, the fear, the pressure, and the final moment in ways no human
07:50being can fully know.
07:52So, if you've lost someone to suicide, be careful with your own heart.
08:00Do not let cruel words become the voice you carry.
08:04Grief is already heavy enough.
08:07God knows more than people know.
08:11God sees more than people see.
08:16And the right response to that kind of loss is not arrogance.
08:22It is humility, compassion, and tears.
08:27But if you are alive and listening to this, the message has to be clear.
08:34Do not choose death.
08:37Do not trust the darkest thought you are having right now.
08:41Do not make a permanent decision inside a moment of unbearable pain.
08:48You may not be able to fix your whole life right now, tonight, or today.
08:54You know what?
08:55That is perfectly okay.
08:58You do not have to solve every problem right now.
09:02You just have to take the next step that keeps you alive.
09:09Put distance between yourself and anything dangerous.
09:13If you're thinking about doing something horrible like committing suicide, call someone.
09:21Walk into a room where another person can see you.
09:25Sit down where you are not isolated.
09:28Say out loud, I need help.
09:33You do not have to dress it up.
09:35You do not have to explain it perfectly.
09:39You just have to tell the truth before the darkness gets louder.
09:47Now the Bible says that life is sacred.
09:50It says despair is real, but it is not God.
09:56It says death is not the answer to your pain.
10:02It says the brokenhearted are seen by God.
10:06And it shows us that people can reach very low places and still be met by mercy.
10:14Have things turn around and an amazing life can occur.
10:20You know, it's, it's, it's that, it's that word that maybe somebody needs to hear today.
10:31Mercy.
10:32Not shame, not panic, not a lecture.
10:36Mercy.
10:38You are not a burden because you need help.
10:41You are not worthless because you are tired.
10:45You are not beyond hope because your mind has been frightening you.
10:51Something can be terribly wrong and still not be the end of your story.
10:58Please stay.
11:00Stay long enough to call.
11:03Stay long enough to let someone sit with you.
11:07Stay long enough for the pressure in your mind to lower.
11:12Stay long enough to find out what help can do.
11:18Your pain is real, but it's not the whole truth about you.
11:23Your life still matters, even if you cannot feel that right now.
11:29God has not stopped seeing you because you are struggling.
11:34So take the next step.
11:37Tell someone the truth.
11:39Let help reach you and do not face this night alone.
11:47Find someone.
11:49Sit next to them.
11:51Call someone.
11:53Keep them on the phone with you.
11:57My name is Douglas Vandegraaff, and I believe in Jesus Christ.
12:04God bless every single one of you.
12:08Every single one.
12:12Bye-bye.
12:13My name is Douglas Vandegraaff.
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