Suicide has wreaked havoc in my family and in the lives of my close friends.

I’ve been devastated every time in the last year we have seen our brothers in the ministry who have resorted to it as their only option. /1

We must be oh so cautious when handling matters of life and death with our words. Those who wrestle with suicidal thoughts and ideations need a special kind of grace, empathy, and mercy when speaking truth lovingly into their lives. /2

Let us not make a false dichotomy between sin and sickness in this area. Mental illness is a consequence of a fallen and broken world. /3

Depression is real; I know it firsthand. Does it involve sinful thoughts—like my failure to acknowledge the good work of God in my life? Absolutely.

Can it be the consequence of chemical and environmental factors beyond my control? Yes again. It is not an either-or./4

Are we responsible for our sinful choices and actions, despite mental illness maladies—our battles with anxiety and depression? Yes. But can we empathize with the consequences of the fall we each wrestle with? We must! /5

All who are believers in Christ must mourn with those who lose loved ones to this death that keeps on killing. We must protect the hearts of those who feel tempted to resort to self-harm. /6

But we must all ultimately acknowledge Jesus is our only hope.

Only Jesus can heal in this life.

Only Jesus can heal after this life.

Only Jesus can give us a vision for the abundant life. /7

Let us grant patience and grace to one another, and be slow to offer easy answers to difficult questions. /8