1. Illus. of seminary class
• Part of preaching class was given assignment, “explain color to a blind man.”
• Didn’t literally have to go out and find a blind man, just write a paper trying to do it.
• Decided it was impossible, or at least nearly impossible, to do so! How do you explain color to someone who has never experienced anything even remotely like it?
2. Depression is like that. If you have experienced clinical depression, you will never really be able to describe what it is like to someone who hasn’t been there. If you have never been clinically depressed, you will never completely understand what your loved one is going through, no matter how hard you may try to understand.
3. Depression can have many causes. Some people experience depression because something is physically wrong with them (chemical or hormone imbalance). Some people experience depression because they haven’t adequately dealt with spiritual or emotional issues in their life (like Paul Carlisle and his alcoholic dad). But one of the more common types of depression is called “adjustment disorder with depressed mood” in its weaker form, and “situational depression” when it is full-blown. In layman’s terms, situational depression is when life piles so many burdens on your shoulders that something just has to give. The result? Clinical depression
4. Text: I want to look at a prophet who was suffering from this common type of depression. Life had thrown him so many curve balls that finally he just crashed and burned. I want us to learn from Elijah what situational depression is all about, and how we can deal with it.
5. I want to ask and answer three simple questions about situational depression.
I. “WHAT CAUSES SITUATIONAL DEPRESSION?”
1. Remember that situational depression is caused when life piles so many burdens on your shoulders that something just has to give. I want you to look at some of the things Elijah had gone through:
Had just finished a three year period of opposition to Ahab. Endured hardships as he moved from place to place, and was often afraid for his life (chapters 17-18)!
He had just finished confronting the priests of Baal in a spiritual showdown. The end result was that all the false priests had been put to death.
An exhaustive and intense time of prayer for the 3 year drought to be over (18:41-45).
Ran 20 miles from Mt. Carmel to Jezreel so quickly that he outran Ahab’s chariot (18:46).
An unexpected life event- a death threat from Jezebel (19:1-2).
2. For three long years, life had piled burden after burden on Elijah’s back. This death-threat from Jezebel was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Something had to give, and Elijah crashed and burned! He went into a full blown depression.
3. Principle: Situational depression happens when life piles more on our back than we can deal with.
4. Illus. of loading truck at hardware store
• Years ago, I worked at a hardware store.
• Had a man come in and buy large amount of 40 lbs sacks of mortar mix.
• Truck was about to stand on its back end. I told him, “This isn’t a good idea.” He replied, “Why this old truck can take anything!”
• Started out of the store, both back tires blew out before he got to the end of the street!
• You may think you are like that old truck, that you can take anything. There is a limit to what can be put on your back before you have a blowout!
5. These burdens that pile on our backs can come in many forms:
Financial struggles (always too much month left at the end of the money).
Marital problems (ongoing fighting in the home, or even separation or divorce).
Continual periods of care-giving for a child, spouse, or aging parent.
Job stresses (boss on you, worries about job security)
1000 other things.
6. We accumulate these burdens, often thinking, “Hey, I’m dealing with these things just fine!” Then some little tiny life-event happens, something that normally we would take in stride, and we crash and burn! This last tiny straw can be anything: a phone call, a letter, a confrontation, even a …holiday, like Christmas.
7. You may have a big, strong back. You may be used to carrying burdens. You may love Jesus with all your heart. But if too much, too often is piled on even the strongest back, something has to give!
II. “WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SITUATIONAL DEPRESSION?”
1. I’m convinced that many people are suffering from depression, and don’t know it because they aren’t familiar with the symptoms. If we could’ve asked Elijah if he was depressed, I’m convinced he would have said no! Yet when you look at our text, he had many of the classical symptoms of depression:
Despair and hopelessness (vs 3). “Why do I need a servant with me? My situation is hopeless, and I’m going to die!” Depression brings with it wave after wave of despair and hopelessness. “There is no reason to struggle. There is no hope for me, everything is black, there is no light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s always going to be this way.”
Suicidal thoughts (vs 4). Remember that God had just answered Elijah’s prayers for fire and rain. He had every reason to believe that God would answer this one too! What he was attempting was just sanctified suicide! 100% of seriously depressed people have recurring thoughts of death and even suicide. “If I were dead, I would be out from under this terrible burden. I would be better off, and my family would too!”
Physical exhaustion (vs 5). Elijah was so tired that at the first opportunity he got, he fell asleep. One of the common characteristics of depression is a bone-numbing fatigue. Not the normal, healthy fatigue we all have, but a fatigue so intense you can barely put one foot in front of the other. You go to bed exhausted, you wake up exhausted.
Bitterness and anger (vs 10, 14). Elijah was mad at the people, mad at Ahab, and if the truth was known, maybe just a little bit mad at God! Depression is like that. On the one hand there is this numbness, so that you don’t care about things you used to care greatly about. One the other hand, there is this bitterness and anger at people and circumstances, and sometimes even at God!
2. Principle: Depression has some pretty clear identifying symptoms.
3. Illus. of flu
• Suppose you get up tomorrow morning and you don’t feel well.
• Fever, aching all over, cough etc.
• Would probably say, “if I’ve got these symptoms, I must have the flu.”
• Same is true with depression. There are some symptoms that will help you identify depression.
4. Let me give you a list of common symptoms, some of which Elijah had and some of which he didn’t:
• Feelings of sadness (like you’ve lost best friend).
• Loss of interest in activities that used to bring pleasure.
• Profound feeling of fatigue.
• Changes in appetite (usually less appetite, sometimes more).
• Changes in sleep patterns (can’t sleep, sleep all the time).
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and self-reproach.
• Inability to concentrate and/or make decisions.
• Frequent thoughts of death and/or suicide.
• Withdrawal from other people (no emotional energy left over to deal with people)
5. DSM IV-TR says having several of these symptoms on most days for at least two weeks indicates clinical depression. If you have the symptoms I just talked about, you need to at least be willing to say, “I may be clinically depressed.”
III. “HOW IS SITUATIONAL DEPRESSION TREATED?”
1. How did God treat Elijah’s depression?
Relief and rest (vs 5-9a). God allowed Elijah to withdraw from the things that had caused him to crash. He said, “Come away from those people and pressures, and rest!” Now, withdrawal is one of the symptoms of depression, but this is different. Elijah wasn’t hiding, he was called aside to rest and renew himself. People with situational depression have to get away from the pressures that caused them to crash, and rest and renew themselves!
Venting (vs 9b, 13b). God knew that Elijah didn’t need to keep this anger and resentment bottled up inside him. “What’s brought you to this place Elijah? Tell me about it!” Depressed people need someone to talk to about what’s going on inside them. Maybe a spouse or friend, or maybe a pastor or a professional Christian counselor.
New but lighter tasks (vs 15-16). After a period of rest and renewal, God put him back to work. This time he didn’t have to stand up to the king or call down fire, just some light stuff. God told him to anoint a couple of kings and a new prophet. Counselors call this, “active rest.” After you get back on your feet a little, you need to go back to the work God has given you, but with new and lighter tasks.
A helper and friend (vs 19-ff). God sent Elisha to help him, to be his companion, and eventually take over his ministry. If you are going through the crash-and-burn cycle, you need a friend to help you, support you, pray for you, and hold you accountable.
2. Principle: Depression is treatable. There is hope and help for depressed people.
3. Illus. of my foolish friend
• Went through a crash-and-burn. Since he was a Christian, he had the idea that if he would just saturate himself with the Bible and pray fervently enough, everything would just kind of take care of itself.
• As much as I am in favor of Bible study and prayer, that is not the answer to every problem. I said to him, “Bill, if you broke your leg, or had a heart attack, would you say you didn’t need a cast on your leg or emergency treatment on your heart, that instead you’d just read you Bible and pray for healing? Of course not!”
• Bottom line: he thought people might think he was a “weak” Christian if he took medication!
• I can’t help but wonder how many Christians are living in the hell of a treatable depression because of this lie of the evil one?
4. If you go through depression, you may have to do many or all of the things Elijah did. You might even need to go a step further, and seek medical treatment. You might say, “I believe in the sufficiency of Christ. I don’t need medication.” I believe in the sufficiency of Christ as well. But, if He chooses to express His sufficiency through the means of medication, who are you to limit Him? What arrogance for us to tell God how He may express His sufficiency!
5. Depression is treatable. If you are through it right now, it may seem that there is no hope and no help, but there is!
Conclusion
1. "Pastor, I am too spiritual to ever suffer from depression." Have you ever called down fire from heaven? Raised the dead? Elijah had...and yet he had clinical depression!
