Day 6: For Depressed & Suicidal
It’s not often you come across a devotional aimed towards those who are depressed and/or suicidal. Maybe this is the first one you’ve seen. I think it’s important. I know there are people in our community hurting and some who have experienced suicidal thoughts.
Every September is National Suicide Prevention Month. If I'm being honest, I've found myself asking, "But can we prevent it?" Suicide seems so big and so powerful, and just this last year I almost lost someone dear to me in a suicide attempt. I felt and still feel helpless. Could we have prevented it? I don't know.
Here's what I do know. You're loved. You're here for a reason. You're wanted here. And even if you don't feel or think or believe that, and even if you don't have people telling you, showing you, and screaming these truths to you, it's true.
Here's what I do know. Help is at hand. We are loved by a God who says you have a purpose and that you're a work of art and that he's not afraid of your broken or dark pieces. He doesn't want to just walk alongside you in your anxiety and depression and chaos…He wants to carry you. He wants to hold you in his arms and carry you and teach you to one day walk again.
On this topic, Pastor Blake Sabiston says, "Satan loves when we feel alone. I believe he loves when we isolate ourselves from others and avoid vulnerability and transparency. Thoughts like: ‘It’s all in your head;’ ‘It’s not that bad;’ ‘No one else understands;’ ‘If I tell anyone else they will think I am weak or it will sound stupid;’ ‘You’ve got this;’ are fodder for Satan to thrive on and lead us away from the community God has built for us – power, not fear."
I beg you to reach out. Lies and fear are experts at flirting. Don't give them even a wink. Tell someone what you're walking in. Here at NU, community is what we’re known for. There are people here who love you and want to support you. You're wanted here. You're needed here.
Read John 10:10, 1 John 4:4, Psalm 34:18-19, 55:22
Questions to consider:
Am I living in isolation or in community? Am I listening to lies? Who can I reach out to who will point me to Truth?
Prayer
Jesus, sometimes it all feels like too much. I know you’re holding me. Hold me a little tighter. Help me feel your grasp. Give me the courage to ask for help when I need it and people who will speak truth into my life.
By Hayley Hanford, GPC Area Coordinator