Editor’s Word: This week’s mini-series on the Grace and Reality weblog is a recap of our 2024 Annual BCC Management Summit, which was held in December at Nation Lake Christian Retreat in Underwood, Indiana, and addressed the subject “Suicide: Hope for the Hopeless.” On this third article, Shauna Van Dyke discusses approaching the intervention. In different contributions to the collection, Curtis Solomon gives an summary acknowledging the disaster of suicide, Rush Witt explores the motivation of these contemplating suicide, Josh Weidmann considers organizing the postvention, and Garrett Higbee shares about comforting the caregivers. Whereas our Annual Management Summit is proscribed to the BCC Council and some particular company, this December, we are going to host our World Management Summit, and you might be invited! Be taught extra and register right here.
As a counselor, you’ll share a number of the deepest and darkest moments with others. For me, these moments are strolling with ladies who battle with suicidal ideation. A few of whom I’ve misplaced. Suicide is the eleventh main reason for demise within the US for all ages.[1] This statistic alerts us that the individuals who may very well be contemplating suicide are in our church, properties, households, neighborhoods, and workplaces. We should be ready to supply care to somebody who’s threatening suicide or partaking in suicidal habits.
By trying on the narrative of Jonah, we’ll uncover 4 godly traits we are able to undertake to help those that have misplaced hope for dwelling.
Compassionate
The Lord commanded Jonah to evangelise towards Ninevah’s ruthlessness and idolatry. Nonetheless, Jonah selected to flee (1:3). Similar to Moses acknowledged in Exodus 34:6 and David in Psalm 86:15, Jonah declares in 4:2, “I knew that you’re a gracious and compassionate God, gradual to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” Jonah needed justice his means for Nineveh, not God’s compassion.
Regardless of Jonah’s self-centered disobedience, God demonstrated compassion to him (4:1-4), comforted him (4:5-8), and taught him (4:Sep 11). Jonah, who would somewhat die than see Ninevites saved, was nonetheless used to carry a complete metropolis to repentance.
Likewise, by Christ, we share the identical compassion.
Sensible Functions: General, categorical compassion by speaking overtly about suicide.
- Be alert. Encourage expression of emotions and motivations.
- Be Boldly ask clarifying questions resembling How lengthy have you ever had these ideas? In what methods have you ever thought of taking your life? Who else have you ever shared this with? This data will assist in making a strong security plan.
- Be understanding. Share your issues relating to their well-being and talk the significance of their life:
- Your life issues to me. I’m so grateful you might be right here proper now. I do know this should be laborious to share; thanks for trusting me. I see how troublesome and painful this case is for you.
- Be cautious. Acknowledge their ache with out inducing disgrace. Hear patiently and talk again what you hear with out judgment however with mild, cautious phrases that categorical love, mercy, and understanding:
- “It’s price options earlier than making such a everlasting choice, and I’d like that can assist you with that. This can be laborious, however you aren’t alone.”
Hopeful
Jonah didn’t need God to point out Ninevites His mercy and provides them hope. However, God is merciful. He supplied hope to the sailors—when the seas calmed, they feared the Lord, supplied a sacrifice and made vows (1:16). To the sinners in Ninevah, God gave alternative to repent, they usually believed the warning, fasted, and confirmed regret. And, regardless of Jonah’s pleasure and efforts to flee, the Lord continued and forgave.
As God provides us hope by Christ (Rom. 15:13), we are able to provide the identical hope to others.
Sensible Functions: Direct them to heart-changing truths by studying Scripture.
- Psalm 33:4-9 – Your goal doesn’t come from the folks in your life, and your hope doesn’t come out of your state of affairs. God alone makes life price dwelling. He created us to glorify Him and luxuriate in Him without end. I do know you don’t really feel that proper now, however the Lord is with you; He cares for you and might help you. He is not going to go away you or forsake you.
- Psalm 34:17-18 – The Lord is close to to the brokenhearted. He hears our cry. He delivers us, and He saves!
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 – God guarantees to provide the capability to endure this hardship. The ‘means out’ that God gives might not be straightforward or what we wish, however there’s all the time an alternative choice to suicide.
- Romans 5:2-5 – God has poured His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who might help you endure this struggling. You’ll be able to expertise pleasure and peace within the midst of your battle by religion. Hope is rooted in religion, so the place there’s religion in God and His Phrase, there’s hope, and the place there’s hope, there’s life.
- Matthew 11:28-30 – Jesus invitations you to come back to Him to search out relaxation.
- Psalm 139 – Encourage them with the reality about God.
- 1-3 – You aren’t alone; God is with you proper now and all the time.
- 1-6 – God is all-knowing. He is aware of your methods, ideas, struggles, trials, temptations, weaknesses, doubts, fears, sins, and failures.
- 7-10 – God is right here that can assist you, lead you, and maintain you.
- 11-12 – God is the sunshine in your darkness.
- 13-14 – God is your creator, the giver of life, and in the event you’re nonetheless respiratory, He nonetheless has a plan and goal to your life.
Clever
God is current. Regardless of Jonah’s escape try, God stayed with him. And (finally) Jonah correctly obeyed. As we assist put a security plan collectively, we don’t need to lean on our personal understanding however search knowledge from the Lord whereas trusting that He’s already at work.
Sensible Functions:
- Be sincere. They want extra help exterior of the counseling room, so don’t be sworn to secrecy. Reassure them that you’ll use the utmost discretion when involving others within the course of.
- As you provide help by growing a security plan, don’t provide reassurance that anyone plan will flip issues round straight away. Inform them this may take time, however you and others are right here to assist.
- Be decisive. Collectively, you could must make non-negotiable selections and take rapid motion, resembling eradicating technique of self-harm (ropes, firearms, knives, alcohol or different medicine), eradicating doorways from closed rooms, or arranging every day/in a single day monitoring.
- Specific that that is for his or her good as a result of despite the fact that they don’t really feel it proper now, their life is efficacious, and also you care about them.
- Be ready. Know which close by inpatient remedy facilities provide faith-based packages and how one can work alongside them. We need to present ongoing care and accountability the place we are able to. So, use time in between periods to review, pray, and put together nicely to your time collectively as you search biblical knowledge.
Affected person
The grace Jonah needed to withhold from others in chapter one, he asks of Yahweh for his personal profit in chapter two. Within the stomach of the whale, Jonah prayed for God’s assist (2:1-2), accepted God’s self-discipline (2:3), trusted God’s guarantees (2:4-7), and yielded to God’s will (2:8-9). Jonah couldn’t save himself, however God’s goodness introduced him from rise up to repentance.
God was affected person with Ninevah, withholding judgment and sending a merciful warning. He was affected person by Jonah’s disobedience. God will accomplish what He desires by us, regardless of our objections or attempting to take issues into our personal arms (Phil. 2:13). As believers, we expertise God’s grace and, in flip, share it with others (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
Sensible Utility:
- Stay steadfast. Belief in God’s guarantees and timing all through the method. God is at work! Create a prayer circle, praying for them and for you as their caregiver.
As we search to assist those that have misplaced hope for dwelling, take consolation in understanding that the Residing God can use us by His Residing Phrase to supply Residing Hope. All through the journey, in our biblical response, we are going to share the compassion, hope, knowledge, and endurance of God with others as we depend on the Holy Spirit’s steerage, who intercedes to supply transformation.
A Caring Response to Suicidal Needs – Remark Video
Query for Reflection
What different godly traits are essential when approaching the intervention of an individual with suicidal ideation?
[1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/well being/statistics/suicide, accessed March 13, 2025.
