Biblical Truths to Combat Suicidal Thoughts

Suicidal thoughts are a serious threat. They can lead you down a life-threatening spiral. You must reach out for help immediately if you are having any of the thoughts below. A caring Christian counselor at San Diego Christian Counseling can help you identify and overcome these destructive thoughts so you can have a healthier, happier life.

The Sources of Suicidal Thoughts

Destructive thoughts that tempt you to end your own life come from three main sources. You must address these sources to overcome them. They are untruths, and you must learn to retrain your mind to focus on the truth God gives you in his word.

The first source of suicidal thoughts is Satan. He would like nothing better than to defeat you with destructive thoughts. The Bible calls him the accuser and the father of lies. Just as he did with Adam and Eve at the first temptation in Genesis 3, he will twist the truth or lie to you. You can learn to recognize when the devil is tempting you toward suicide.

The second source is your own inner critic. Some of us have extremely sensitive consciences due to our personality bents, the environments in which we were raised, or both. If you have a harsh inner critic, it will mercilessly condemn you when you mess up or even when you don’t do anything wrong. Your counselor can help silence that harsh inner critic and help you hear God’s gentle, loving correction instead.

The third source of suicidal thoughts can be the abusive comments of others. People who are hurting themselves often lash out in anger and criticism at others. Maybe you have been a target of such mistreatment. You may be hearing tapes of destructive words that others slung at you over months or years, causing you to buy into their lies. Your counselor can help you set healthy boundaries against abusive behavior, which will stop the horrible incoming messages.

Examples of Suicidal Thoughts

There are many kinds of common lies that people tell themselves when they are severely depressed. If you recognize any of these lies below, fight back with the provided Scriptures. Then be sure to contact a Christian counselor or suicide hotline right away, to help keep you from further danger.

My life doesn’t matter.

Feelings of worthlessness are common with severe depression. However, God places enormous value on every human life. Consider the following verses which express how much God values you.

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. – Matthew 10:30-31

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. – Ephesians 2:4-7

No one loves me.

If you feel unlovable, you are not alone. Many depressed people believe the lie that they are unloved. Even if it was true that no one on earth loved you, God loves you more than any human being ever could. These verses prove it.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! – 1 John 3:1

No one understands me.

Feeling misunderstood is a universal problem among those who suffer from suicidal thoughts. Satan wants to isolate you, so you feel uniquely alone in your pain. He knows that when you are alone, you are more vulnerable to his attacks. You can fight back with the knowledge that Jesus understands you and is walking beside you in your suffering.

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. – Isaiah 53:3

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. – Hebrews 13:5b

They would all be better off without me.

God created us to live in community with one another. You may be in a toxic environment where people don’t appreciate you. Or you could be believing the lies Satan is telling you. However, God wants you to connect with others because you have much to offer. No one else can offer exactly what you can! You are important, and your contributions matter.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” – 1 Corinthians 12:21

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. – John 13:34-35

There is no hope for me.

Loss of hope is one of the key markers of suicidal depression. Your situation may seem hopeless, but with God on your side, you can always have hope. He has lifted many others out of depression, and he will lift you out if you turn to him. His hope can anchor you as you recover from depression.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. – Psalm 40:2

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. – Hebrews 11:1

I’ll be going to heaven anyway.

It’s common for Christians to believe this twisted truth. They see suicide as a shortcut to glory. While this statement may be partially true, our length of life on earth is ultimately determined by God. He has great things in store for you if you are willing to wait for him to reveal his perfect will.

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. – Isaiah 64:4

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:10

I have no reason to live.

God promises a life of abundance to all who follow Him. Whether you have fallen away from him, or are just beginning your journey of faith, there are wonderful things in store for you. Your life can be a new creation that will bear fruit for God’s glory. He can write a new story for you!

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers. – Psalm 1:1-3

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Getting Help from a Christian Counselor

With therapy, you can retrain your thoughts to follow God’s will. A caring Christian counselor is ready to help you change your suicidal thoughts. Within several weeks of treatment, many of our suicidal clients cannot believe they entertained such thoughts. This can be your story too. Don’t hesitate to call us at San Diego Christian Counseling today to get the immediate help you need.