Stories of Mental Health in the BibleMuestra

Depression - Elijah

Elijah was a prophet during an unstable time in Israel’s history. Many had turned away from God to worship Baal, a false god. God sent Elijah to help the Israelites see the error of their ways and return to God, and his efforts resulted in the death of many prophets of Baal. This caused a rift between Elijah and people like Jezebel, who all but guaranteed she would kill him.

Elijah immediately fled and hid away in the wilderness, exhausted and completely alone. In his solitude, Elijah was consumed by feelings of hopelessness. He became convinced that his life had no value and begged God to end his life right then and there.

Clinical diagnoses for conditions like depression didn’t exist in Biblical times, but Elijah’s thought patterns look very similar to what many with depression struggle with today. Feelings of helplessness and low self-worth can trick us into believing things will never get better. But as we read on, we see that God meets Elijah where he’s at and provides for his most basic needs. An angel of the Lord brings Elijah food and water, and God provides space for Elijah to rest and regain his strength. It isn’t long before Elijah turns a corner and continues his journey.

When you’re in the midst of depression, you may start to believe the lie that your life doesn’t matter, there is no hope for your situation, and God doesn’t care about you. Remember how God saw Elijah and gave him what he needed to heal, and know that he can do the same for you.