Why would a Christian get the urge to commit suicide?

The question: Why would a Christian get the urge to commit suicide?

My answer: There is a common thinking that being a Christian means that you are automatically filled with joy. Christians are supposed to be happy people right? Friend, that’s not at all the case. Allow me to explain.

Jesus told us in John 16:33 that “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The world we currently live in is in a fallen state. We are experiencing the results of the original fall into sin back in the Garden of Eden. This means “To live in a fallen world means we struggle with sin on a daily basis. We experience heartache and pain. We witness natural disasters and staggering loss. Injustice, inhumanity, and falsehood seem to hold sway. Discord and trouble are commonplace. None of this was God’s original plan for humanity. We fell from our original position in the Garden of Eden. We now live in a fallen world, and all creation “groans” under the consequences of our sin (Romans 8:22).” (http://www.gotquestions.org/fallen-world.html). This also means that Christians will continue to struggle with things like depression and suicidal tendencies. 

Being a Christian does not meant that we are delivered from everything that afflicts us right now, including depression. It means that we believe God’s promise that He will has something better for us in the future. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you… plans to give you hope and a future.” This promise was given to Israel when they were in exile. God was promising them that He would come for them and bring them back to their home in Israel. It was a promise given while they were despairing of their current situation. It was also a promise given in reference to their future. Friend, we are like Israel. Our home is in heaven with God. While we are away from there, we are going to experience trouble. God’s promises to us are in reference to our future with Him. It’s this that we can rest our hope in. That’s the difference between believers and unbelievers. We have “hope for the future”.

For the Christian that struggles with suicide, this might mean holding on to promises like Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe every tear from tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” As a Christian who often struggles with depression myself, this is a verse that I hold onto. There have been times when I have so yearned to just be done with this world and all its burdens that the thought of suicide did cross my mind. But, as a believer, I strive to obey God. So even though I suffer, I still choose to obey God. I’m not the only one who felt this way. The article found at http://www.gotquestions.org/suicide-Bible-Christian.html talks about other “people in Scripture [who] felt deep despair in life. Solomon, in his pursuit of pleasure, reached the point where he “hated life” (Ecclesiastes 2:17). Elijah was fearful and depressed and yearned for death (1 Kings 19:4). Jonah was so angry at God that he wished to die (Jonah 4:8). Even the apostle Paul and his missionary companions at one point “were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself” (2 Corinthians 1:8). 

However, none of these men committed suicide. Solomon learned to “fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Elijah was comforted by an angel, allowed to rest, and given a new commission. Jonah received admonition and rebuke from God. Paul learned that, although the pressure he faced was beyond his ability to endure, the Lord can bear all things: “This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9).”

In the end, the Christian is obligated to obey God even in their deepest despair. But He gives us the tools to do this when we follow Him. Through prayer and reading of His Word we find comfort. He also provides help in the form of His people. The Christian should never try to face trials alone. That’s what the church is for. Believers are to “carry each others' burdens, and in this way [we] will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). I would encourage the Christian who considers suicide to seek help. If not at church, another good resource, which is also anonymous, is called Hopeline. They can be reached at 1(800) 784-2433.