By H. Mark Abbott
Several Bible characters give evidence of depression. But we don’t get the feeling that God merely tells them to snap out of it. They are not offered quick and easy cures for their depression.
One Biblical survivor of depression is Elijah. Elijah is a prophet of the Lord, a prayer warrior, and an advisor to the king, that is, when the king would listen. Elijah is a godly giant of a man. And Elijah has just experienced the most intense confrontation with evil. Talk about “spiritual warfare!” Elijah faced it.
On Mt Carmel, you remember, this lone man, Elijah, stood for God against the pagan queen of Israel and against 400 priests of the pagan God Baal. Elijah and his God win the contest on Mt. Carmel hands down. But Queen Jezebel is not happy. She’s not pleased that her god has egg on his face. She doesn’t like it that many of her priests have been executed. So Jezebel threatens to kill Elijah in twenty-four hours.
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For some reason, Jezebel strikes raw fear into Elijah. Some women, you know, can do that even to the bravest of men! And the same prophet, who stood up to the priests of Baal on Mt. Carmel, runs in fear from Jezebel. But Elijah doesn’t just run around the corner somewhere and hide. Elijah hikes about one hundred miles. Now, that’s a pretty long hike for anyone and Elijah is no spring chicken.
By the end of his marathon, Elijah is absolutely exhausted. Adrenalin, which had sent his blood sugar up and increased his heart rate, giving Elijah remarkable energy and courage, has run its course. Elijah is now limp and frazzled. And this great prophet of God is very, I mean VERY depressed. Elijah collapses under a tree in the wilderness and prays that he might die. “I’ve had enough, Lord. Take my life . . . ”
Imagine! Here’s a preacher with a death wish, a suicidal prophet.
Later, when Elijah starts talking to God again, he says: “Now Lord, I’ve been very zealous for you. I’ve stuck up for you, Lord. But now, I’m the only one of your faithful servants left, and they’re trying to kill me too.”
Elijah felt like he and he alone was standing for truth. Everyone was against him.
Sound at all familiar?
You see, Elijah could be lifted to the heights of spiritual ecstasy. Elijah could be filled with determination and drive to serve God. But Elijah sometimes didn’t take very good care of himself. And when that happened, Elijah could hit the emotional bottom w/ a huge thud.
Could it be that instead of just being something bad -- something for which we should seek a quick cure -- depression is actually a signal of something in our lives to which we need to pay attention?
Could it be that when depression spreads its heavy darkness over our lives, we might well ask ourselves:
* Hey! When was the last time I had a complete physical?
* Could my hormones be out of whack?
* Could my blood chemistry be out of order?