What leads people to consider suicide?

on Jul 6, 2026

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: There’s so much in the news about people contemplating suicide. What leads people to consider such self-inflicted doom? – S.T.

A: Life can – and often does – become so hectic. It leads into preoccupation with our immediate concerns, and we don’t step back and see the whole picture. For many people, life is a constant struggle just to survive. Others have everything they could ever want – so it seems – yet also remain unsatisfied and unfulfilled, though they may present their life differently on their social media platforms.

Perhaps down deep, though, people assess their life’s journey as a series of unrelated events, strung together like beads on a string. Others feel trapped like a leaf in a rushing stream, tossed about by circumstances beyond control. Many others may have never stopped to think about the road traveled – never grasping the purpose of life.

When life has been marked by disappointment and heartache, it makes us search for something different, but peace eludes us. There are those who experience what seems to be a relatively free life, yet aimless and empty. Some decide early in life to pursue pleasure and fame but eventually find that it can lead to disillusionment. Others are overwhelmed by crushing problems. Tragically, every year thousands decide they can’t bear life any longer and decide to end it. The devil seeks to destroy, but Jesus Christ brings healing.

God didn’t intend for our journey through life to be this way. Instead, He meant for it to be filled with joy, with even the most ordinary events being part of His plan. He also wants to guide us as we make decisions and give us hope for the future. “Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7, NIV), but the Bible also tells us that “Joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NKJV).

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)