Godâs compassion for the suicidal
In 1 Kings 19:4-14 Elijah feels suicidal, and tells God to take his life.Â
God doesnât get angry at Elijah.
He doesnât tell him that heâs being silly, or that suicide wonât solve anything. He doesnât freak out, nor does he ignore Elijahâs cry. God validates Elijahâs pain. Through an angel, God provides Elijah with food and water because Elijah is probably exhausted (he had fallen asleep under a tree after telling God that he wanted to die, and this was probably the safest thing at that point for Elijah). Getting to the point where you donât want to live any more is an exhausting place to be. You cannot think of anything else other than wanting to end the pain.
Once heâd finished eating, Elijah lies down again. But God wants to continue validating Elijah, and continues to have compassion over him. He wants to be with Elijah during his crisis. He wants to keep Elijah safe. The angel comes back again (1 Kings 19:7) and this time adds (and validates) that the journey is too much for Elijah (1 Kings 19:8) and that he needed more food. Elijah was then able to move on and travel for forty days and nights to reach Horeb.
I really love 1 Kings 19:4-14. It tells us a lot about God. He cares about people who are suicidal â he is loving, gentle, patient, compassionate, and he knows what we need. He provides Elijah with physical, spiritual and emotional healing.Â
The church could probably learn a lot from the way God deals with Elijah. Suicidal thoughts are something which are incredibly common but the church doesnât always deal with them in the best way. Often, suicidal thoughts are invalidated and ignored rather than validated and accepted.Â
The angel is gentle with Elijah. He doesnât tell him to pray more, nor does he tell Elijah that suicideâs a sin or that heâs demon possessed. He doesnât even tell Elijah to stop feeling suicidal â he simply tells Elijah to eat.
When you feel invalidated, remember that God validates you fully. He accepts and acknowledges how you feel, and he says itâs okay.
If you feel suicidal, I encourage you to reach out for emergency help.
My ask is also always open for people who need help.
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