What a strange turn of events in the life of our hero we read in 1 Kings 19. Why would this man of God be so despondent that he hoped to die? Let’s recount the circumstances that brought Elijah to this point as we explore a chronicle of despair. First, Elijah had stood boldly before King Ahab and proclaimed that God would judge the nation of Israel by withholding rain for an extended period of time. When the drought came, Elijah had to flee for his life, but while he was hiding God miraculously sustained him with water and food every day. Second, he had worked some awesome miracles while a foreigner in a pagan land. He lived with a widow in that strange land, and made a smidgen of flour and a little bit of oil last forever, and when the widow’s son took sick and died, Elijah raised him from the dead. Finally, Elijah confronted 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, prayed fire down from the sky and proved that Yahweh was God, literally in front of God and everybody. It was an incredible spiritual victory for Elijah. It was, literally, a mountaintop moment for Elijah. Finally, after three and half years of drought, Elijah stood before King Ahab yet again and pronounced that the rain was returning, and it did!
With so much in Elijah’s favor, why did he exhibit such despair? Well, after it started raining, with King Ahab on his way back to Jezreel (the city where his palace was located), Elijah, under the promptings of the Holy Spirit, tucked his robes in his belt and ran so fast back to Jezreel that he actually arrived ahead of King Ahab. That’s where we picked up the story with the reading of today’s scripture. Ahab tells his queen, Jezebel, all that happened on Mount Carmel. Jezebel was partial to all those prophets of Baal and Asherah that Elijah overcame. She was angry, and made the promise to kill him before the day was done. Verse 3 tells us, “Elijah was afraid and fled for his life.” One day after the most awesome day in his life, this godly, miracle-working energetic prophet is ready to throw in the towel. In verse 4, Elijah, having run out into the wilderness outside Beersheeba, falls down and exclaims, “I’ve had enough, Lord. Take my life Lord, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died!” Elijah had gone from despair to full-blown depression.
What? A person of faith and courage battling depression? It can’t be! That must be a pretty sad testimony to the life of faith. Aren’t we people of faith supposed to be joyful? Doesn’t Jesus promise a life of joy in him? Didn’t Jesus say, “Come to me all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). How can a person of such godliness, faith and courage be depressed?
Depression and anxiety tend to be some of those touchy subjects that are tough to tackle from a Christian perspective. It's not complicated just because the illnesses themselves are so complex, but also because perspectives about mental disorders vary greatly throughout the Church. Yes, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are supposed to be characterized by joy and peace, but it is also true that many Christians do battle with depression on a daily basis. Jesus wants to transform us, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, Jesus can transform us as we look to him for guidance and grace.
Let me offer my disclaimer. I do not possess a Ph.D. in psychology, nor am I a psychiatrist or other health professional trained in mental disorders, but I am a person who has pastored over 25 years, and in those years have shepherded many persons struggling with dejection and depression. A person learns a lot along that journey, and we pastors are not immune from the difficulties of life that sets one on an emotional journey.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines depressed as “1. Low in spirits, dejected. 2. Suffering from psychological depression.” Who among us hasn’t felt the first? It happens most frequently for me when the Saints lose. Others feel it when they take a major test only to discover they didn’t do so well on it. Others may feel it when a relationship goes south. We’ve all been there, done that, and have the t-shirt to prove it. Right? That second definition, though, is a bit different.
Current estimates put the number somewhere between 12 and 17 million people who suffer with psychological depression. It’s been called the “common cold” of psychological disorders. We’re not going to solve that issue here in a 20 minute message either, but Elijah’s experience reflects that even people of great faith can struggle with depression.
Depression has many causes, but will usually fall into one of four categories: temperamental, circumstantial, psychological and physical. First is temperamental. People are simply wired differently. You’ve known someone who was “steady as a rock,” and you’ve also known others who were up and down like yo-yo’s. There’s the optimist and the pessimist—glass half full, glass half empty kind of people. Then, there are people like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. No matter how had they try they just can’t see the good. A person’s temperament can be a cause of depression.
Second is circumstantial, also called situational depression. One of the four D’s can trigger depression—death, disease, divorce and disaster. Three circumstances in Elijah’s life probably led to his depression. The mountaintop experience when he prevailed over the prophets of Baal is one situation. All of us want to win and have that mountaintop moment. The problem is there is only one direction to go from there. The aftermath of a high moment in life, spiritual and otherwise is prime time for depression. A second circumstance was his run-in with Jezebel. Part of Elijah’s problem may have been that he couldn’t win her favor. He’s like, “Didn’t you hear what I did? Can’t you see I’m a good guy, here?” He couldn’t change her opinion of him, and that caused a problem for him. Finally, Elijah was lonely. He left his servant in Beersheeba and went into the wilderness alone. He lamented “I alone am left” of the Lord’s prophets. When we feel we’re alone, whether we are, or not, we are susceptible to depression. During WWII, the Nazis discovered the most effective form of torture was solitary confinement. After just a few days of total isolation, most soldiers would tell all.
The third category is psychological. Psychologists say the number one cause of depression is repressed anger. People are angry at themselves, at others, or even at God. Internalized anger makes a person feel sorry for him/herself and that causes depression. Elijah had reason to be angry, yet he reacted to Jezebel’s threat, not with anger at her, or with faith in God, but with fear. 1 Kings 19:3 says he was “afraid.” Elijah fell into what Zig Ziglar called “stinkin’ thinkin’. Forgetting that God had provided for him on at least two previous occasions, his stinkin’ thinkin’ caused him to fall into self-pity and run for his life. Here are some other examples of stinkin’ thinkin’:
• “I try to be a loving spouse, but nothing I do seems to make a difference.”
• “I try to be a good parent. I make sacrifices and no one notices. What’s the use?”
• “We try to get out of debt. We make a budget and keep to it, but then the car breaks down. It’s futile!”
The fourth category is physical. Clinical depression in some people is caused by a chemical imbalance of serotonin in the brain, and that makes some people more prone to feelings of despondency. Medication can help people with this issue. Physicians and prescriptions are very often purveyors of God’s healing grace as much as pastors and prayers! Beyond the chemical problems, there are things we do to induce those imbalances: poor diet, lack of exercise and physical exhaustion can affect serotonin levels and exacerbate feelings of depression. Think about this: Poor Elijah had just run 36 miles across the desert in a day and a half. He was mentally, physically and spiritually tired, so he sat down under a broom tree and prayed for God to take his life. You and I aren’t exempt from the consequences of fatigue. We all have limited physical resources and if we continue to burn the candle at both ends it will eventually burn out.
When Elijah despaired of life, God showed up, and Elijah found the capacity to continue on the mission to which he’d been called. I wouldn’t dare suggest that any of us with a chemical imbalance or serious psychological disorder can suddenly get well the way Elijah did, but by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives God can transform the desperation of daily life into a deep determination to live in the fullness of God’s grace. Here’s the prescription I see in Elijah’s chronicle of despair.
First is rest, or recuperation. God took care of Elijah’s physical needs. Verses 5 – 6 tell us Elijah slept and that the angels came and ministered to him by showing him bread and water. God just let him rest. No chastisement for having a bad attitude or no faith. Simple rest and nourishment so his body could recover. One of the most spiritual things we can do is rest. God built it into creation—it’s called the Sabbath.
Jesus was always taking time to get away, and he often encouraged his disciples to do so, too. Personally, I went through a period of burnout in 2008. In a period of 18 months, I had gone through a 60 pound weight-loss, my dad had died, Vanessa and I were in a car accident that rendered me unconscious for a period of time, and we had completed a building program and capital campaign at the church I served. I was tired. Someone asked me what was I going to do on my sabbatical. I told them the first thing I was going to do was sleep. I read somewhere that if a preacher is good, he/she deserves at least four weeks of vacation; if he/she isn’t good the congregation deserves it! All of us need to learn how to and when to shift gears. It’s amazing how a little rest can renew our spirits and replenish our spiritual resources.
Likewise, diet and exercise help to keep the blues away. If God sent you an angel like He did Elijah, what would that angel tell you to do? Put the chips away and get off the couch? Turn the TV off and take a walk? It’s almost impossible to overcome despair in our lives if we’re not eating right and resting well.
Second is revelation. God helped Elijah get his mind off his problems and on to the awesome power of God as Elijah received a revelation of God’s glory. God told Elijah to stand on the mountain and God passed by, not in the wind, nor the earthquake, nor even in the fire. God was in the gentle whisper, and Elijah heard God’s voice. We can never be transformed without an encounter with the Living Lord. It is in such an encounter that we sense God’s awesome power and presence, even in the darkest times, and even in the darkest times, we need to know God is with us. There are two ways we can get a new revelation of God’s presence and power: read the Bible and go to church! A philosopher once said, “If you act the way you wish you felt, you’ll eventually feel the way you’re acting.” That’s Wesleyan, too. John Wesley counseled his preachers by saying, “Lack ye faith? Then, pray until you get it.” Don’t wait until you feel like reading the bible or going to church. Get up, go worship and sing songs of joy. It will change your life. In one study, researchers at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, followed 159 individuals with depression over the course of a year to examine the relationship between a person’s level of belief in God, expectations for treatment, and actual treatment outcomes. Individuals with no belief — or only a slight belief — in God were twice as likely to not respond to treatment than people with stronger beliefs. Bible study and worship attendance really do promote healing.
Finally, I see responsibility. After God revealed Himself to Elijah on the mountain, He gave him the call to go back the same way he came and anoint a new king in Aram. See, God didn’t exempt Elijah from Jezebel’s wrath; He just gave Elijah a new responsibility. We must learn that we can’t control what other people do, and sometimes the actions of others create desperation in our lives. There’s nothing we can do about the other people. Sometimes in life, we don’t need pity so much as we need responsible direction and a new goal. When we’re facing desperate circumstances we should pray that God will give us a new challenge, and be on the lookout for what that new challenge might be—a new hobby, a new ministry or even a new career. We don’t always need to seek security as much as we need to seek a new challenge.
Rest, revelation and responsibility—not always the cure-all for desperate times, but based on Elijah’s own experience, it seems to be a good starting place when our lives are writing their own chronicle of despair.
