What You May Be Feeling
The Japanese culture is rooted deeply in valuing your reputation, having personal and family honor, and shame. After visiting the suicide forest in Japan, I believe there are 4 main reasons you may be contemplating suicide.
*Please know I intimately understand the depths and complexities of the place you are in. Because of this, the points below have been designed to be a simple, first-step to help in your time of need.*
1. A lack of self-worth.
When you’ve begun to believe that your life doesn’t matter to others, you lose site of your worth and value. You start to believe that your life is insignificant, maybe even a mistake.
If you are struggling to believe that you have a value and worth, and that you are truly loved read Psalm 139:13 (NIV), “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Our loving God created you for a purpose; He has a plan for you. Even if the world seems like a dark and lonely place right now, trust Him. You were born for more! Reflect on these words from the Psalms.
2. Feelings of isolation and loneliness.
As you withdraw inside yourself, you begin to feel isolated, fearing no one cares about you, or understands you. You have no place to go, and believe you don’t know of anyone who loves you.
You are not alone, but you must reach out. Remember, the vine Jesus talks about in John 15:4 is of no use until you connect to it. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me” (John 15:4).
3. The breakdown of family.
When the family is broken, it creates an opportunity for someone to feel unloved, insecure, and unwanted. It can cause a breakdown in your ability to give or receive love or communicate your feelings and oftentimes, leading you to feel like you don’t belong.
As humans, we were created by God to love and to be loved. When that doesn’t happen it’s detrimental. There will always be a deficit in our hearts – searching for belonging and love. God knows the brokenness we face and has a plan to restore it. “God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.” (Psalm 68:6)
4. The lack of a life-giving community.
When you don’t have a group of family or friends that value you; welcome your words, ideas, thoughts, or feelings, you begin to feel as if you are the problem. Feeling as if you have no one to truly listen to you or accept you can leave you feeling hopeless.
We all want to feel valued. Without this, we are left feeling empty. This deficit can only be filled by Christ and healthy relationships with others. It’s important to find belonging and seek out a community of people who value us. If you are struggling to believe you are valuable, read Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 5:8, Isaiah 49:15, and Jeremiah 31:3
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11)
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while
we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8)
Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? Even if that were possible, I would not forget you! (Isaiah 49:15)
I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love, I have drawn you to myself (Jeremiah 31:3)
Do you believe Him?
Do you believe his words today? Do you believe He can do what he says? I ask you to open yourself to His love, search out a godly community in a local church, talk to someone about your feelings. Or maybe today, you believe it, and you’re walking with Christ. Is there someone in your life that needs to be reminded of these words today?