There are people who in some way want to do something to themselves. They walk around with the thought to do themselves harm. Such thoughts don’t come out of nowhere. They have a history. Still, there are always reasons to forgo the tragedy.

Backgrounds⤒🔗

Negative thoughts have a background. And then we do not immediately think about certain diseases that affect our mind and our thinking. It is well-known that depression has a direct influence on our thoughts; we don’t have the power anymore to direct and control the process of our thought patterns. That is a miserable situation. It may be that through all kinds of experiences we have slowly grown to a negative, sombre view of life. The difficulties and worries are so prominent that they drive out the good and the positive. A negative attitude is formed. From the negative, we see everything that happens around us and to us. Of course, there are various levels in this. Fortunately, there are few people who are completely stuck in negativity. But every self-murder, every effort to suicide has a background. Every form of enslavement has a cause. Behind every form of a dark burden, a personal history is hidden. There is always some form of drama at hand when someone harms himself or harbours thoughts to do so.

The problem is that we have lost perspective. We cannot balance things anymore. We don’t have the power to keep the equilibrium. We realize that we have received blows that caused us to be removed from the ground we trusted until now. The trusted road is not the road anymore on which we more or less feel safe and sheltered. We don’t have sources left that helps us. That’s how we experience it. That’s how it works in our feelings and that’s how our thoughts are occupied. Anyone who does not recognize this should be careful not to simply put away those who struggle with negative thoughts and feelings. At the very least, we have to try to empathize to some extent with what someone else feels and thinks. We cannot take over feelings and thoughts from one another. But we can try to really share with the other what moves him or her and how their personal life history has gone.

Power of Evil←⤒🔗

Christians too can be affected by negative feelings and thoughts. In this world that is attacked by sin, believers and non-believers alike often have the same experiences. Each person is unique, but still we all have most things in life in common. We all are born, we all live during a particular time, we all have to eat and drink and sleep. And we all must die and meet God. In this life between the paradises we are searching for the positive. We search for what makes us happy and gives perspective. We search for what is good, and what builds up. And at the same time, we know ourselves surrounded by powers that aim for destruction. Evil is a real power in the world. The devil is a real ruler. He influences people in all kinds of ways. He will try to promote negative thoughts. He reinforces all kinds of feelings of discomfort and helps us along on the wrong road. In our weak moments we are prone to give in to this.

Part of the message of the gospel is the call: do not harm yourself. This call does not apply only to people who walk around with thoughts or even plans of suicide. But the call is very specifically also for them. Realize that there will be a meeting with God after physical death. The power of the lie can be so strong that she is believed to be the truth. That is why the disappointment and fear will be all the greater if it turns out that what we held to be the truth proved to be a lie.

Examples←⤒🔗

We can harm ourselves in many ways. Everyone experiences in his life moments of which we say, “Then and there I should have done that differently.” Whether that refers to our relationship and dealing with others or to dealing with ourselves is not the most important point now. When we are at odds with ourselves, it has a direct effect on our dealings with people around us.

We can talk ourselves into a dark pit. “I cannot do that anyway. I am useless.” Or you work yourself down. And then we wrong ourselves by leaving the Bible closed. We even build up wrong thoughts about the Bible. Especially at the crucial times, we think: “The Bible cannot help me anyway. Nice words, but they do not address my situation.” Essentially we say, “God is a powerless God. And Jesus Christ has not risen. He is not the good Shepherd. He cannot do anything when it matters.” Then you don’t expect anything from God anymore, while in the background you are actually still crying out to God. Prayer can be extinguished. Or in your prayer you keep going in circles. Every time the same words, the same complaints. It is a comfort to know that he who hears our prayers also notices the wordless cry in our hearts and hears and understands the sighs. But the gospel has to become real for you again. You have to be gripped by it again.

We harm ourselves when we allow ourselves to be influenced too much by people who speak the language of unbelief. A persistent negative influence, even a weak one, can seriously attack and destroy personal faith. It can lead to all kinds of doubts while reading the Bible and while listening to the preaching. We all are influenced by our environment. One cannot escape that. But we have to think about how we arm ourselves and fight a persistent harmful influence.

We harm ourselves when we fill our minds and imagination with all kinds of impure and dirty pictures. And those do not have to be in the area of sexuality only. The power of money also has wreaked havoc in hearts and lives. We harm ourselves when we use our speech to utter abusive and hateful words. We harm ourselves when we allow powers of addiction into our lives. Especially when the negative has gotten a hold on us, alcohol and drugs are attractive remedies. Stories of people who ended up in a negative downward spiral speak volumes.

We harm ourselves when we start to build up a philosophy that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ does not offer anything for academically formed and thinking people. That the gospel should be for people who have not learned to think about the real questions of life. In this way we can convince ourselves of a lot more foolishness. We harm ourselves this way. We do that also when we attach all kinds of conditions to the true promises of God for sinners. Or when we judge the spirituality of others. Without a doubt we have to speak with one another about spiritual things. In such discussions there is room for loving admonition and correction. We need sharpening of our faith from one another. But we may not judge others. The Lord will do that.

Love is Going out to Us←⤒🔗

There is always a reason to think about not harming yourself. There are other people who care about you. You will cause grief to others. But the deepest reason not to harm yourself is that God’s love is going out to us. God’s love is searching for us, in and through Jesus Christ. Whoever believes in him, has life.

In his eternal, holy love, God has given his Son. He has given him to a world of people whom God knew how they would react. God knows the people of the world. He knows the people better than they know themselves. And still he gave his Son to this world.

The preservation and feeding of faith is of utmost importance when we have these kinds of thoughts, because then we preserve and feed our lives. Then death has passed by, even when we all still have to go through death or through the great change of our bodies. But the strength of the resurrection has come into our lives. That strength does not work automatically. From our side we certainly have to give attention to it. We have to use the means of grace (preaching, reading of the Word, prayer etc). And then the knowledge of faith will grow: “My times are in your hand.” This is what we have to seek. Because we meet all forms of evil. No one can escape that. But Jesus Christ has died and risen again. He gives courage and strength. Fight negative thoughts and feelings through faith and prayer. Through the strength of the Word.

Love is going out to us.