Due to the subject of suicide discussed in this post, please get a parents permission for younger audiences. When I first heard the plot of the new series 13 Reasons Why, I was a little bit shocked. Before long, I was saddened and even heart broken. From movie reviews and articles I’ve read regarding the series, the content surprised me. There are so many movies out there today encouraging teens to do wrong, even harmful, things, or portraying something that goes against Scripture. But what hurt my heart most about this series is how it makes suicide appear. In this series, the main character who is actually dead, gives 13 reasons why she killed herself. People may argue that this film promotes the end of bullying, or they may argue that it promotes everyone to be kind to others. I’d have to disagree. Teenagers (coming from a young woman who has just recently left her teenage years) are very impressionable. As a teen, we are just beginning to grow up and we can be very heavily influenced by media, such as music, books, movies, or television. Because of this, it breaks my heart to think that any movie or TV series, no matter what it the show is, would romanticize suicide or make suicide look like an escape. Listen close, please. Suicide is neither an escape, nor is it beautiful in any way. It does not fix problems, it creates them. Suicide is not a way to get back at someone who hurt you. It only prevents you from having the opportunity to heal from your hurt. So instead of writing an article giving my whole opinion on this movie, I chose instead to write my own article encouraging you that suicide is not the answer. These are my thirteen reasons why you should stay alive. My 13 reasons why NOT to commit suicide. 1. You are loved. I think this world has a way of twisting our ideas of what love is. And I also think we all know that love isn’t really like a Disney or Hallmark movie. In the real world, love hurts, love is selfish, and love goes away. But the truth about this love is that it isn’t real. It’s a fake version of love. Real love is the God of the universe who sent His Son to die for a people who turned their backs on Him. Real love is Jesus dying on the cross when we still did not know Him and when we spit in His face. Real love is our Savior continuing to pursue us even after we continue to fail Him. That’s real love. A sacrificial, unselfish love. And here’s the thing, I know loving people hurts. Humans hurt each other. People you love may walk out on you, people you love may not return that love, and people you love may break your heart and trample on it. But that does not make you unloved or unlovable. Because the God who made you looks at you and calls you His beloved. He chases you and declares you loved. He gave up everything for you. He died on that cross for you, because He loved you. You are so beautifully, perfectly, and completely loved. And not one thing in this whole world can change that. (Romans 8:38-39) 2. You are a child of God. Some of you may have been hurt or wounded by your parents, because parents are human too. Some of you might not even know your parents. What I want to encourage you with is that you are a child of God and He is a good, perfect Parent. When He rescued us from our sins and died on that cross for us, He could've just said we could be friends or followers or even servants of Him. But He went way beyond that. He made you His child. And as a child of God you have purpose and meaning far beyond your wildest dreams. (1 John 3:1) 3. Your current situation won’t last forever. It may seem like it will, I know. But I promise you that it won’t. Do you remember how quickly the seasons seem to change? Summer always goes the fastest in my opinion. Before we know it though, winter has come and gone too. Just as the seasons change so quickly, so do our lives. One decision, one accident, one friend, one opportunity, one dream, can change it all. You may be in pain right now, you may feel like what you’re going through won’t end, but I promise you that this winter will end and summer will come one day. (Psalm 30:5) 4. God has a perfect and good plan for your life. If you’re anything like me, you’re a planner. Basically I mean I’m a five and ten year plan kind of girl. I plan out my entire life. But you know what? Life doesn’t always go according to our plans, does it? Accidents happen, the doctor’s diagnosis isn’t good, we lose our jobs, things just don’t always go how we think they should. But I also know that God is control of everything in your life. Nothing happens that He doesn’t see or plan. Yes, bad things happen because we’re human and we sin. We live in a sinful world. Yet that doesn’t mean God isn’t still in control, because He is. And His plans for you are good and perfect and meant to bring you closer to Himself. (Jeremiah 29:11) 5. You have an assignment. If you are breathing, you still have a purpose. If your heart is still beating, you still have a task to accomplish. You were put on this earth for a purpose and a reason and until you fulfill it, you are meant to stay here. God has a big dream for your life that is beautiful. He put people in your life that only you can reach. He put people in your path that only you can encourage. But if you’re gone, you can’t. You can’t leave until God has completed His perfect work in you. But if you’re reading this right now, your life and purpose isn’t complete yet. (Philippians 1:6) 6. Suicide does not fix the problem. God fixes the problem. Suicide is final. It can’t be taken back. It is not a way to get revenge on someone who hurt you. It is not the way to hurt the people who wounded you. Suicide only cuts off any chance of things getting better. Suicide only guarantees that the problem will not go away. God is for you and He will take care of what happened to you. He will restore what was taken from you and He will heal you and fix the problems, because He is the answer to everything. Revenge is His, not yours to take. (Romans 12:19) 7. You are a masterpiece. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Have you ever made something creative and worked really hard on it? Maybe you’re an artist and worked really hard on a special painting. Maybe you’re a writer and worked super hard on a new novel. Isn’t it an incredible feeling when it’s finally complete? As a writer, I know the joy and love of working on a writing project and finally finishing it. As a creative person, I know how much joy I find in my creative arts. So can you just imagine the joy God felt when He finished making you? Can’t you imagine the way He smiled when you were finally complete? He loved every part of you as He beautifully made you complete. (Psalm 139:13-14) 8. Every day is a new beginning. Sometimes guilt makes us feel like we can’t go on, doesn’t it? Because we’re human and sometimes we make mistakes that devastate others or destroy our own lives. And it can be hard to live with the guilt of the mistake or the consequence of the choice. But this is a promise from God: His mercy toward you is new every morning. Every time that sun rises again, it’s a new beginning. Every day is a chance to start over again. (Lamentations 3:22-23) 9. You are priceless. The world tries so hard to cheapen the value of our lives. It tries so hard to get us to act, talk, dress, and live in a way that is cheap. I think the devil tries so hard to get us to view ourselves as cheap, because he knows that if we knew how valuable we really are, we would be unstoppable. You are more valuable than you know, my friend. Your life has worth beyond what you can see. You are priceless to the King of the universe. (Matthew 10:29-31) 10. Someone is looking up to you. Whether you know it or not, someone is watching you. Little eyes are paying attention to what you do. A little sibling, a younger kid from youth group or school, little eyes on the field or watching you on a stage. Wherever you are, someone is watching you and they look up to you. If you take your life, you will destroy them. Give them a real example. Step up and give them a reason to look up to you. (1 Timothy 4:12) 11. You haven’t lived your whole adventure yet. Ever since I was a little girl, I have thrived on adventure. Yet sometimes life gets in the way of our crazy, little kid adventure fantasies. But you know what? Life itself is a beautiful adventure God is placing before you every day. And you haven’t lived your whole adventure yet. There are still new oceans to swim in, exotic foods to try, people to meet, roller coasters to ride, and mountains to explore. Don’t leave yet. Tomorrow is an unopened adventure waiting to be lived. (Hebrews 12:1-2) 12. You are not forgotten. Being forgotten is an awful feeling. It leaves us feeling used, broken, and unnoticed. Being forgotten makes us feel worthless, unseen. And inside all of us, we desperately want someone to see the real us. You know what God—the God who is crazy about you—says? He says that even a mother can forget her child, something that seems unfathomable to us. But even if a mother forgets her child, God will never forget you. You are fully seen, fully known, and fully remembered by the God of all creation. (Isaiah 49:15) 13. You are not alone. He is with you. Right here, right now. Jesus is standing with you, holding you. When everyone else walks out, He walks in and He holds you close. When everyone else abandons you, He holds you tighter. When your heart breaks, He holds it together. When your tears fall, He weeps with you. You are not alone. You may feel like it, I’m not denying that. But feelings lie. Feelings twist the truth and they make you forget what is really true. Listen close as I assure you that the truth is that God is with you right now. He will never leave you. You are not alone. (Psalm 23:4; Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 34:18) Don’t leave yet. You’re here for a reason. You’re here for such a time as this. You are loved. Don’t give up.
12 Comments
Grace
5/29/2017 09:37:36 am
Wow, powerful post Bella. Thank you so much for sharing. This is a good list for every girl to have somewhere where they can look back and read it often. And this is a great preparation for your next magazine issue!
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Bella Morganthal
5/31/2017 08:43:33 pm
Thank you, Grace! <3 I thought so too! I might include it in the issue :)
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Anonymous
5/29/2017 04:13:34 pm
It seems to me that you try to build up self confidence and make girls feel good about themselves when we are sinners who deserve nothing. Just because Jesus rescued all who believe in him doesn't mean we can be going about saying all this "ego building" phrases.
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Hello Anonymous,
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BarefootWarriorPrincess-Elizabeth
5/29/2017 07:45:12 pm
June 23rd, 2016 I attempted and survived suicide.
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Bella Morganthal
5/31/2017 09:02:34 pm
Thank you for staying and being strong! <3 Keep being amazing!
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Olivia Bell (aka Livy)
5/29/2017 08:13:58 pm
This post was wonderful, Bella! I cannot believe they have made that show you mentioned, I mean, what??? What has this world come to? Your post was incredibly wonderful and I hope people who need this definitely read it! It really was a great post!
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Bella Morganthal
5/31/2017 08:56:34 pm
I know, it breaks my heart! Aww thank you so much for your encouragement, Livy! <3 Love you so!
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Bella Morganthal
5/31/2017 09:00:30 pm
Your comment made my day, thank you! <3
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5/31/2017 02:53:04 pm
This was such an encouraging post! I was so needing this at the darkest point of my life. Thank you for writing this. I also would recommend the movie "EXIT" by Living Waters.
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Bella Morganthal
5/31/2017 09:01:25 pm
Thank you, Lizbeth! Keep pressing on! <3
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