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Coping With Depression
READ 1 KINGS 19
WHY WAS ELIJAH DISCOURAGED?
Depression is caused by the LOSS of something. (Even a chemical imbalance is LOSS of chemical balance.)
1. He was physically worn out. He had LOST his physical stamina. When you are physically weary, you cannot grasp scripture and think clearly.
2. He LOST his divine direction. God didn’t tell him to flee; he took his case into his own hands.
3. He had LOST his faith in other people. 1 Kings 18:22 “I am the only one of the Lord’s servants left.” He was thinking no one else is spiritual, no else cares. This is wrong thinking that can get us into trouble.
SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION:
1. Feeling of worthiness
2. Loss of pleasure capacity
3. Feelings of sorrow and sadness
4. Loss of appetite OR overeating
5. Insomnia OR escaping into sleep
6. Apathy OR restlessness
7. Withdraw from friends and relatives
8. Loss of interest in sex
9. Difficulty in decision making, lack of concentration
10. Being upset over little things that wouldn’t have
upset you before
You can suffer from depression even you do not have all the symptoms. If you have 6 or more of these symptoms, you may need to see a good doctor. Before you do anything else, get a good physical check-up and blood test to make sure it is not a chemical imbalance.
WHAT DID GOD DO TO LIFT ELIJAH OUT OF THE DEPRESSION?
First God dealt with Elijah’s PHYSICAL needs.
1. Let him get some rest.
It’s important to get the proper amount of hours of sleep that you need.
2. The angel “touched” him two times. Human touch is important for wellness. Studies have been made that healing comes faster to those who are sick, and children grow and thrive with physical touch.
Severely depressed people are “un-reasonable”. You cannot reason with them. But they can understand the language of love.
3. "Arise and Eat” God provided a cake full of nourishment and a drink. Proper nutrition is important for wellness.
4. God told him to go somewhere which took Elijah 40 days of walking to get there. A consistent exercise program is important for wellness.
After God dealt with Elijah’s physical needs (rest, nutrition, touch, and exercise) he began to deal with him spiritually.
5. He asked him “What are you doing here, Elijah.” God never asks questions to learn something. He knows everything. He asked questions to make us learn something. We don’t know if he was asking
“What are you doing HERE?” (I didn’t send you here. That was your own decision.) Or He could have asked “What are you DOING here?” (whining, complaining, self-pity, dwelling on trouble and problems.)
This question make Elijah think about himself and what he was doing.
6. Next, God revealed HIMSELF to Elijah. He was not in the wind, earthquake, or fire. But He was in the “gentle whisper” or “still small voice.” He may have been telling Elijah that sometimes he is in the wind (1 Kings 18:45) , and earthquake (17:22), and fire (18:38). But He’s not ALWAYS to be found in the DRAMATIC. You won’t always have the dramatic experience and wonderful days, but God will ALWAYS be there. His gentle whisper is always there!
7. He gave Elijah some work to do. Having significant work to do for the Lord will encourage us and excite us.
8. (verse 18) He let him see behind the scenes that there were 7000 people who were followers, not just Elijah. He guided him into truth. His thinking was wrong, so he revealed to him the truth about the situation. God will reveal to us (most often at a later date), WHY we experienced something.
9. He gave Elijah a friend, Elisha. Elisha became his attendant and stayed with him until the end! If you do not have a friend, ask God to give you one. We also have Jesus. Jesus is God with skin on. What a friend we have in Jesus.
10. God had a plan for Elijah that was good. He has a plan for us too.
(Taken from a sermon from Dr. Shepson)