September is Suicide Awareness Month.

My aunt attempted to take her life in my teens; my uncle took his life during my adulthood.

I have received a “goodbye message“ from a loved one and, by God’s grace, someone reached them before they could attempt.

When my uncle died, I received comments from church, family, and community members who held the thought that if a person passes away from suicide they forfeit their salvation in Christ. This thought process did not sit well with my spirit and led me to dive deeper into the Bible to understand how God interacts with suicide.

With a platform such as this, I aim to share all I learnt on this topic; the lessons from life's most challenging seasons can be a blessing and source of hope for others.

I believe one has three types of “sights” when reading the Bible – hindsight, insight, and foresight. Hindsight is the Bible revealing what happened and the consequences; insight is how the information read reveals things about your life and spiritual condition; foresight is the prophecies given yet to be fulfilled. When discussing suicide in the Bible, it is through the lens of hindsight.

There are seven suicides recorded in the Bible – six in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. While studying, I placed them in three categories: unrepentant heart posture, repentant heart posture and heart posture unknown.

Based on the recorded account of each person’s life and death, I can only come to these conclusions: four out of the seven died in an unrepentant state; two were unclear to conclude; one was in a repentant state of heart – this was the historical account of Samson.

I want to highlight Samson and one other Biblical account relating to suicide.

As a result of Samson's death, the call God had given Samson at birth to begin the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines (Judges 13:5) was fulfilled. Because of this, his death in some teachings is not considered a suicide. However, the Scriptures do not support this teaching. Throughout Samson's life, he supernaturally overcame extraordinary circumstances that would have killed any other man. The Spirit of the Lord was over Samson during these experiences (Judges 14:5-6, 14:19, 15:14-15, 16:3).

The account tells us the Spirit of the Lord left Samson upon the final betrayal of his covenant with the Lord, where he revealed the symbol of his covenant and strength.

In the final moments of Samson's life, after being a prisoner, slave labourer and entertainment for the Philistines, it is revealed in scripture that Samson prayed to the Lord, asking Him to “remember” him and to give him the strength to avenge the Philistines.

God answers his prayer and, before he pushes on the pillars, Samson requests God to let him die with them (Judges 16:28-30).

It is in this revelation that we know that it was suicide. It was Samson's experience that, when God was with him to provide supernatural strength, he would survive unsurvivable circumstances. Thus he requested that God allow him to perish rather than survive and he died by his own hand, the definition of suicide. God honoured his request. Samson's prayer and return of strength were evidence of his repentance and God's presence with him.

The final account regarding suicide in the Bible I want to mention is that of the Philippine jailer (Acts 16:25-40). When God miraculously freed Paul and Silas from their bonds and opened the jail doors, the jailer pulled out his sword to end his life. Acts 16:28 states, "But Paul cried out with a loud voice, 'Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.'" The jailer's conversion was soon revealed.

I believe God gives us Samson’s account as a source of hope for people left to grieve and remember their loved ones who have passed due to suicide. God is present at the end of someone's life, and only God knows the state of their heart.

No man can make a judgment of another's eternal status. I believe the account of the jailer reveals how God feels about suicide – that it is not an action God wishes us to make because it has a finality that many other decisions do not have.

In my personal experiences, I have witnessed God save my aunt in her attempt. Meanwhile, He honoured my uncle's decision and sent someone to intervene in the effort of my loved one. I will never understand God’s wisdom in each circumstance, but I trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).

I pray that this devotional thought challenges those who may hold unkind thoughts about people who have taken their life. I pray it provides hope for those grieving and remembering their loved ones – there is hope in God.

If you or anyone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, don't hesitate to contact a professional to get the support needed. The Bermuda Hospitals Board’s 24-hour Mental Health Crisis Line is always available on 239-1111.

You are valued and you are loved.

With love and blessings.

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