The night may be the darkest and scariest, but there’s sure to be a dawn. The storm might be the fiercest, but there’s sure to be a calm. It is sad that most people don’t survive the night nor the storm. It was not the night nor the storm that killed them, but they took their own lives, they just didn’t wait a little longer.

Over one million people die each year from suicide. Someone dies of suicide every 40 seconds, while 20 others are attempting suicide. Women attempt suicides more than men, although men die more than women because they use more lethal methods of death. The highest rate of suicide is between the age groups of 15 to 25 and 55 to 65. These are the transitional phases of life, from childhood to adulthood and from working to retirement and old-age.

People attempt suicide mainly because they want to end their pain and sufferings. Some of the suicidal causes are depression, alcohol-drug abuse, grief, divorce, separation, losing custody of children, hopelessness, helplessness, homosexuality, boredom, anger, revenge, remorse, self-pity, unloved, shame, guilt, no purpose to life, financial loss, emotional problems, verbal, physical or sexual abuse, chronic or terminal illnesses, criminal prosecution or incarceration, perfectionism, failure, rejection, relational problems, bullying, victimisation, fear, faced by tragedy, sin and demonic oppressions.

Achooselifes in most cases of suicide, people don’t want to die, but they do want to end their pain. They look at suicide as a means to end their suffering, not necessarily to end their life. They are somehow convinced that the only way to end their pain is by committing suicide and so they take their own lives. The truth is, suicide does not end your pain. There are devastating consequences of committing suicide that are far beyond your imagination.

Somehow people feel that death is the end of all sufferings, but for many people, death is the beginning of eternal sufferings, the kind of sufferings not experienced by mankind. Does that mean those who commit suicide go to hell? I don’t have a definitive answer, because our knowledge and understanding are limited, besides it is not our place to judge. It is God alone who sits on the judgement seat, and He who knows everything, judges with justice.

For instance, a person may be an atheist, he finds no meaning in life and commits suicide, but in his last moments just before his death, he repents of his sins, receives Jesus as his Lord and Saviour and receives the Holy Spirit. He has received God’s grace and is saved. There may be another person mentally retarded, one day he jumps off a cliff and dies. Everyone thinks he has committed suicide, but it could be that he had an illusion he was a bird and was trying to fly off, or perhaps he was trying to do bungee jumping without a rope.

God knows the motives of everyone, he judges them according to their intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual capacities. “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked (Luke 12: 47-48 NIV).”

If you are in any pain or suffering, suicide is not the solution for your problems. Jesus, is the only solution to whatever troubles you may be going through. You may be at the end of your rope or you may be standing on the edge. Take a leap of faith, you really have nothing to lose. Repent of all your sins, accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, receive the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, and your life will not be the same anymore.

Once you have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, you will not be in bondage to the power of sin and death anymore. I am not saying that life, as a true believer, is without any problems, but none of the problems will bother you anymore because you will become more than an overcomer. Jesus knows your every pain and if you will trust in Him, he will rescue you from your sufferings. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 ESV).

All of life’s problems are temporary, they are just a passing phase. Depression can be cured and treated. Physical pain can be coped with innovative pain management. Financial losses can be reversed with God’s blessings and wisdom. Grief and sorrow will be healed. God will rescue you from all your troubles. When Jesus is the centre of your life, everything falls into place. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need (Matthew 6:33 NLT).”

Life as a Christian, is not mediocre or boring. It is a life of extraordinary grace, power and love. Jesus loves you unconditionally. He looks upon you with tender compassion and genuine concern. God has an amazing plan for your life. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).”

You might have made a series of wrong choices, God can make things right for you, and He cares for you. He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds (Psalms 147:3 ESV). He gave His own life on the cross, so that you could live not just this life, but live for eternity with Him in heaven. You were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies (1 Corinthians 6: 20).

The greatest pain in life can be the pain of not being loved. Most people who attempt suicide have felt unloved and forsaken by their families, but here’s God seeking out after you, loving you. Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close (Psalms 27:10 NLT). If it is love that you are seeking, there is no greater source of love than Jesus Christ.

A self-inflicting death is never better than a God given life. Do not forsake your life, for with it you will forsake all hope, choices, opportunities, eternal reward and, may be, even your salvation. If a person is living, that person has an opportunity to repent, get saved, fulfil God’s will for his life, abide in the Holy Spirit and bear fruits. If a person kills himself, he has no chances, but only judgement awaiting him. The devil is a thief who is trying to kill you, but God wants you to have an abundant life. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10 NIV).”

Suicide is a sin because it is murder. You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13 NIV). Suicide is not the will of God. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:17 NIV). The devil is our enemy and he does everything he can to stop people from getting saved, and stops saved people from being effective witnesses.

If you are suicidal because some voice is telling you that you don’t deserve to live, you are not worthy, you just don’t fit in or you don’t belong here, the devil is after killing you because he knows your worth, he knows the price that was paid for you and he wants to steal that life from you. Think about it, why anyone will try to destroy you, if you are not worth anything, or if you are not a threat to the devil.

Suicide destroys life and it’s potential. Suicide is devastating to the relatives and friends of the deceased. Think about the people who love you, you’re parents, your spouse, your children, your siblings and your friends. Although suicide is not hereditary, it does run in families and close friend circles. When one member commits suicide, the others are strongly influenced by these demonic spirits and they too, at times, do likewise.

Suicide is rebellion against God. Instead of waiting for God’s ordained death, people reject God’s timing and take their own lives. Suicide is lack of trust and faith in God. Instead of waiting on the Lord to deliver them, people take matters in their own hands. Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? (Ecclesiastes 7:17 ESV).

The eternal consequences of suicide, for many, are devastating. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ESV).

In your despair call to Jesus and He will rescue you. He will protect you and provide for your every need. Trust in Him alone and He will lead you into the path of righteousness. You have a choice between life and death, please choose life. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. (Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV).

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