Disclaimer: If you or someone you love is in imminent danger, call 911 immediately. The following is general advice and is not a substitute for professional help or medical advice.
In the first blog post of our three-part series, we are going to look at immediate actions you can take if someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, and how to share the hope of the gospel with them.
As you read, remember: You can do everything right and they still can commit suicide. You can do everything wrong and they might not commit suicide. You are powerless to their choices but deeply affected by them.
Coming alongside someone who is struggling with suicidal tendencies is a difficult task, but one that can be a tremendous blessing to the other person, even if it isn’t acknowledged until well after the fact. It is an extremely challenging but profound opportunity to show the love of Christ. Here are some tips that may help you engage someone who is in any stage of considering taking their own life:
Immediate Action
If you believe your loved one is in immediate danger, do not leave them alone. Remove any potential means of self-harm from the area and transport the person to the nearest emergency room, if possible. If that is not possible, call emergency services (911) or a suicide prevention hotline (988 or www.988lifeline.org) immediately. It’s always better to err on the side of caution by contacting the appropriate authorities and professionals.
Pray Fervently
Intercede on behalf of your loved one, asking God for His protection, comfort, and healing. Pray for wisdom in how to best support them and for God to reveal His love and purpose for their life. Pray that you don’t try to help in your own strength but that you are depending on Him to give you the words, the silence, empathy, listening gifts to meet them right where they are.
Remember that Timing is Everything
We can’t just tell people the truth and expect a change to happen. They typically don’t need information, they need to be connected to first. When someone is in a dark place, they need to be connected to another person (think of Job’s three friends who sat in silence for seven days and seven nights empathizing with Job: Job 2:11-13). Then they can be connected to God (Think of how Elihu engages Job, helping to first bring down Job’s guard in Job 32, starts to talk about God when Job is ready to hear about God Job 33, and then starts to share truth in Job 34.)
In other words, we need to share the truth with them at the right time. When Jesus engaged the Samaritan woman, He didn’t just say “I am the Messiah!” He engaged her, made sure she was connected to Him, then He shared the truth of who He was.
See the second blog post in the series here, and the third blog post in the series here.
Chew on This:
If you need to take immediate action, what is your plan? Who can you call on to help in a time of crisis?
