Even though suicide is the biggest, single cause of death amongst men under 45, it’s still a topic we don’t like to discuss.
What’s more, many men who have contemplated suicide felt they couldn’t talk about their feelings.
The Bible doesn’t speak a great deal about suicide, although it does say that it is wrong to murder anyone, and that includes a person taking their own life.
Yet, whilst homicide or suicide are acts that disobey God, they are not acts that are beyond forgiveness.
After all, God accepts anyone who repents and believes in Jesus as Lord.
Yet, when a person takes their own life, they show that they have found it too hard to trust in God’s sovereignty.
In other words, they think that their life is in too much of a mess for even God to fix.
Sometimes this is made worse when people are affected by a form of mental illness, or if the person has committed some sins that seem too great to be forgiven by God or others.
Yet, even though our deepest trials, we should remember that God is in control of everything, and that even our personal trials exist so that we might grow in character and godliness.
As we read in the opening chapter of the letter of James:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James chapter 1, verses 2 to 4)
No matter what your personal trial might be, it’s OK to talk about it.
Talk to God, talk to a friend, talk to a counsellor, talk to Lifeline on 131114… but don’t keep it to yourself.
Remember, #ITSOKTOTALK