"I curse the day I was born!...Why was I ever born? My entire life has been filled with trouble, sorrow, and shame." This doesn't sound like one of God's greatest prophets. Yet it is! it's Jeremiah, pouring his heart out to God, wishing he'd never been born. Everyone has felt that way at one time or another. Most of us have wished we would just CHECK OUT of this life. For some, though, that desire gets so intense that they act on it. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among American teenagers. Everyone occasionally faces despair, but why does one person struggle through while another ends his life? The critical factor is loss of hope. A suicidal person looks at his or her problems and says, "IT'S DARK OUTSIDE, and I am powerless to change things. What's more, I have no hope that things will get better." What does God think about suicide? Unfortunately, the Bible does not give a simple here's-what-God-says-about-the-issue answer. But it does give us some helpful principles. First, we aren't the author of life, God is. There is no "self-made" men or women. You're here because God made you in his image; because he loves you, he wants to know you, and he wants you to know him. When someone commits suicide, he or she is saying, "Look, God, you goofed when you let me slip into this world. So I'm going to correct your mistake." But life-and death-are GOD'S TERRITORY. To trespass on that holy ground means you've decided to play God. God does not look on it lightly. However, suicide is not an inforgivable sin. Jesus said there is only one of those, and it's not suicide. This doesn't mean suicide is okay. Actually, suicide is one of the most selfish, cowardly, and hateful acts anyone can commit. Those who have ever had to deal with someone's suicide know: the EMOTIONAL DEVASTATION for those left behind is unbelievable. Suicide doesn't solve problems. It dumps them on someone else, multiplied many times over. Don't believe the lie that "everyone will be better off without me." They won't. You'll just cause overwhelming pain and heartbreak. So what do you do when you - or someone you care about - decided you simply want to end it all? First, remember you're not alone. Everyone has felt that way. If others can deal with it, you can too. Second, don't loose hope. Things can get better. Sometimes all you need is time. Mitch Anthony, founder of the National Suicide Help Center, puts it like this: :Suicide is a permanet solution to a temporary problem. It's like cutting off you leg because your little toe hurts." Third, know the DANGER SIGNAL that indicates someone might be considering suicide; going through a family crisis; being a victim of abuse or neglect; drug abuse (yours or a family member's); death of a friend or family member; approaching the anniversary date of a significant loss or death; previous suicide attempts; family histpry of suicide; preoccupation with death and/ or talk of suicide. If you or a friend are experiencing one or more of these signals, talk to someone you can trust - someone trained to help you with your problems. Counseling is exstremely important. Finally, remember, even if it seems no one else cares about you and your pain, God cares. He cares deeply. Pour your troubles out to him. He understands because he, too, has experienced the depths of human experiences. When you are tempted to give up, to take the cowards way out and end it all, remember what Winston Churchill once said: "Success is never final; failure is never fatal; it is courage that counts." And Jesus says, "Take heart, because I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)