Answers
By BGEA Staff • January 22, 2024 • Topics: Suicide
Q:
When I feel depression coming on I sometimes think of taking my life and being done with it all. However, I am more of a coward than gutsy. I haven’t really found a way out of this vicious cycle of up and down emotions, and I do wonder how a person can find God’s help for the soul.
A:
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
More and more people are committing suicide; some because of depression, others disappointed that life hasn’t turned out the way they had hoped. Then there are those who turn to drugs and alcohol to escape and it leads them down tragic paths. Others attempt to quiet the longings of their souls in other ways. Nothing but God ever completely satisfies, because the soul is made for God.
So many people believe that if things would go their way they would live happily. Others believe that when a war is won, problems of the world go away. But other wars come along and hate never ceases. War, poverty, disease, loneliness, boredom, racism, and starvation still run rampant.
Life is not meant to be lived according to man’s ways, but God’s ways. The Bible teaches that every person has a soul, the part of us that lives forever. Those who commit suicide are not ending who they are. Suicide only ends the life of the body, but the soul lives on forever.
God is a holy God and the Lord is righteous in all His ways, loving toward all He has made (see Psalm 145:17). When we trust Him with our lives by seeking Him and calling on His Name, He meets our needs according to His word. He helps the fainthearted learn from disappointments and gives strength to overcome hopelessness. “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4, NKJV).
(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)
