Suicide, Sin, and Salvation: Is Suicide Unpardonable?Sýnishorn

The Reality of Suicide in the USA

More people die from suicide than from homicide in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates increased 25 percent nationally from 1999 to 2016. They rose in nearly every state.

According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Americans ages ten to thirty-four. Suicide rates are much higher in the elderly American population than for any other age group.

Suicide rates have grown exponentially for women since 1999. And white, middle-aged men account for 70 percent of all suicides each year.

The CDC reports that more than half of the people who died by suicide did not have a known mental health condition.

Factors contributing to suicide include:

• relationship problems
• a crisis in the past or upcoming two weeks
• problematic substance abuse
• physical health problems
• job or financial problems
• criminal or legal problems
• and loss of housing

And the Centers for Disease Control lists these twelve “suicide warning signs”:

• Feeling like a burden
• Being isolated
• Increased anxiety
• Feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Increased substance use
• Looking for a way to access lethal means
• Increased anger or rage
• Extreme mood swings
• Expressing hopelessness
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Talking or posting about wanting to die
• Making plans for suicide

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please get help immediately.

Ask your pastor to recommend a Christian counselor in your area.

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) or go to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s website at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Take every threat of suicide seriously.

Tomorrow, we’ll turn to what the Bible has to say about suicide.

In the meantime, it is important to know that it is possible to get through this.

Feeling suicidal does not require that we act on our feelings. The best thing to do immediately is to create some space. If we decide not to act on our feelings for even a few minutes or a day, we can find the strength to seek help. By seeking help, we can deal with the pain and find the hope we need.

Apply the lesson 

• Do you know anyone suffering from any of the factors listed? If so, how can you support them and show them God’s love?
• Read 2 Corinthians 1:3–11.