Daniel Ausbun
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How to Talk Someone Out of Committing Suicide

3/15/2013

2 Comments

 
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Every 40 seconds someone takes their life in the world. 1 million people per year. In America it's every 17 minutes. It is the 10th leading cause of death in the world.

Pictured above is the white chalk cliffs of Beachy Head, England - one of world's most popular places to commit suicide. People are unhappy, lost a job, had a breakup, committed a crime, incurred gambling debt.

Depression, despair, mental disorder and substance abuse are all major influences in suicide.

Some people have planned it for months, others have been thinking about it for a few hours - when someone is talking about killing themselves, you must intervene. 40% of teenage suicides are impulsive.

7 people in the Bible committed suicide, most notably King Saul (1 Samuel 31:4) and Judas (Matthew 27:3-5).

Here are some tips to share when you hear the threats:

First, offer a boatload of hope. Remind them about their children, good memories from the past and how their temporary circumstances or pain will pass. Hopelessness will always be a leading cause of suicide. Financial debt or pending prison is better than ending your life.

Second, remind the person that suicide is murder and breaks the Sixth Commandment (Exodus 20:13). If the person threatening is a Christian, remind them their bodies belong to the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:20). They would kill themselves and literally seconds later must give account for the sin they just committed. This is certainly not the preferred method of reaching God.

Third, tell the person God has a plan for their life. His plan is life not death. Jesus came so people can have an abundant life (John 10:10). If they repent and begin to call on the name of the Lord, He offers the life they're longing for.

Is suicide unforgivable? No. Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that not even death or life can separate us from the love of God. Christ offers the greatest victory over someone considering suicide - hope and life in Him.

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2 Comments
Vicki Gann link
3/28/2013 12:27:01 pm

Dear Sherri,
I am so happy for your family adopting a child. God revealed to me so much about Himself when He taught me how to love my children His way instead of my way, and believe me it took a lot of pressure off of me and put a lot more love on them! About the suicide article, I myself tried to commit suicide many years ago and God has led a lot of people to me that has tried also. He always brings us others that are going through the same thing He brought us out of. I have found through Jesus leading me the way, that all we have to do is love them. We do not have to read them scripture or remind them of their responsibilities such as their children or their memories that have failed. Believe me reminding them of their past will not help, it will only hinder, they are in this state of mind because of their past. A wonderful friend of mine killed his self because He thought he could not be a good father. He thought He was killing his self for them. The best way to bring them out of a mind set of killing their self is to tell them three words, I love you. That is all. Tell them you love them first. Then tell them because you were once lost in finding someone to love you in the right way your reached out to your Savior, you were washed with His love. Tell them no one knows how to love the right way without Him, and no one is loved the right way without Him. That is why the world is so stressed out and impatient with their selves, they love their way and not His way. Tell them that we are made for His love and when they know His love they will understand. Tell them He taught you how to love yourself and others. Tell them Jesus Christ loves them. No scripture, just relationship and conversation first then comes scripture after many days of just loving them through listening and understanding them instead of you trying to be understood. Believe me telling them what they are doing wrong will only increase their mind set of being more of a failure.The only thing they have on their mind is their self and how they have failed. Do not remind them of another failure they are committing, that is why we should only focus on loving them. Not being accepted and not feeling loved is the only reason for suicide. They value their relationship with the world more than they do with God, and we know the world does not know how to love. Just some pointers that helped me in my time of need and also over the years with others in their time of need going through the same thing. I love you and wish you many blessed days with your family and all of their adventures Christ is leading you toward!
Many prayers,
Vicki Gann

Reply
Mel
4/13/2017 03:53:04 pm

Good Vicki, I just had to coach my daughter with helping her friend out of this

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