Gashugi Yves 
Desperate upset teen girl victim crying alone at home, sad abused young woman in tears feeling depressed heartbroken offended bad having problems, unexpected pregnancy, regret mistake abortion
I Will Make the Right Decision
One day, someone asked me, “Does a person who commits suicide end up condemned?” It was a challenging question for me to answer. I told him that we know about God’s mercy only in relation to the sins we’ve committed, so it’s difficult to understand the mercy of God for a specific sin we haven’t experienced (This was my personal response). For that reason, I don’t make any judgment about whether someone who has committed suicide is condemned or not because Judgment Day will bring surprises for many!
Research conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019 revealed that approximately 703,000 people die by suicide globally each year, with at least one or more individuals per hundred (1.3%) of those who died in 2019 being victims of suicide. The global suicide rate is more than twice as high for men as it is for women.
Further research by WHO in 2021 showed that over half (58%) of all suicide deaths occur before the age of 50. Worldwide, suicide ranks as the fourth leading cause of death among people aged 15-29. Suicide affects all regions globally, but over two-thirds (77%) of global suicides in 2019 occurred in low- and middle-income countries.
Nearly one in five (20%) of all suicide cases is attributed to pesticide poisoning, especially in rural farming areas. Hanging and firearms are other common methods. While the global suicide rate is decreasing, this is not the case in all countries, and rates may appear to decline due to underreporting or suicides occurring in private locations, as people often choose secluded places.
Research by Ferrari AJ and others in 2010, revisited in 2014, indicated that individuals with severe depression are 20 times more likely to attempt suicide compared to those without such depression.
I Will Make the Right Decision
On October 23, 2024, in the late morning, I, along with my team, encountered a sixteen-year-old girl. Her face bore signs of sorrow, her gait revealed exhaustion and disenchantment with life, and her voice was thick with emotion, accompanied by tears. Below is an excerpt of the conversation we had with her, where, for privacy reasons, I will call her Mara (a pseudonym for her security).
Conversation Highlights:
Interviewer: Have you encountered any problems from your family that impact your life?
Mara: Yes, very much so.
Interviewer: Can you share what those are?
Mara: My mother died when I was born, and then my father immediately remarried. They abandoned me, and I was raised by a kind-hearted family.
Interviewer: Mmmm [Nods]
Mara: So, whenever I call my father asking for school supplies, like notebooks and other materials, he tells me he hopes they will call him to put dirt over me, as that would be the only help he would give me [Referring to a funeral contribution].
Interviewer: Mmmm [Chokes up]
Mara: When he says those words to me, the only thought that comes to mind is that I must make the right decision.
Interviewer 2: What do you mean by the right decision?
Mara: You know what I mean—it’s suicide, so I can escape this suffering. All my classmates have moved on to secondary school, while I am still stuck in primary school, falling further behind.
This is a summary of the conversation we had with Mara. How would you feel if, upon calling your parent for support, and you were told that the only help they could offer was to bury you?
You might not find joy in reading the research cited above, but reread it if you haven’t understood it thoroughly. People in this world are skilled at expressing their struggles, and once a problem is identified, it’s easier to seek a solution. Indeed, the word “solution” exists because “problem” came first! As believers, we must seek out the root of the issue as the foundation for finding a God-pleasing solution.
Some believers I’ve encountered argue that no true believer would contemplate or commit suicide. However, overlooking such thoughts has often left them unable to fully support those struggling with such feelings. Scripture shows us that even some of the most devoted figures in the Bible grappled with thoughts of despair, and some even took their own lives.
We will discuss this further in Part Two of this series!
References:
- World Health Organization. Suicide worldwide in 2019: global health estimates. Available from: WHO Publication. [Accessed 13 July 2021]
- World Health Organization. Suicide: key facts. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021 [cited 2021 July 20]. Available from: WHO Fact Sheet
- Ferrari AJ, Norman RE, Freedman G, Baxter AJ, Pirkis JE, Harris MG, Page A, Carnahan E, Degenhardt L, Vos T, Whiteford HA. The burden attributable to mental and substance use disorders as risk factors for suicide: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. PLOS One. 2014 Apr 2;9(4)
