HOPE AMONG HEAVINESS

"Elijah went on a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep." [1 Kings 19:4-5]

Have you ever come to a place where you told God, "I have had enough!"

Why do we feel like giving up at times?

In moments of battling with low mood and depression, we can feel exhausted! But, instead of choosing to take a break, to rest and sleep, we press harder into work, activities and church life. Even God's people, the praying ones, the fasting ones, the serving ones and the anointed ones, can walk through seasons of deep heaviness.

The world has a negative picture of depression and it is often viewed as a weakness. But here is the sad part: in the church, depression can be seen as a lack of faith and spiritual weakness. Which causes feelings of guilt, stigma and deeper isolation; resulting in people either 'suffering in silence' or choosing to try and work, pray and serve their way out from underneath the weight that is crushing them.

I have heard people say this statement in the face of deep adversity:

 "God will never give you more than you can handle." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

That verse refers to temptation in your life. The actual truth is that God will often give us more adversity than we can handle so that we turn to His strength and His power in the struggle.

Low mood and depression is not proof of a weak faith; it is proof that we are human living in a broken world and carrying spiritual weight.

Look at Elijah. He was not a lukewarm believer, but a prophet who called fire down from heaven, (1 Kings 18:36-38, 2 Kings 1:10-12) out ran chariots by the power of God, (1 Kings 18:46) and shut up the heavens (1 Kings 17:1). Yet, after his greatest victory, Elijah collapsed into despair. He sat down under a juniper tree and requested that he might die, saying, "I have had enough now LORD, take my life."

Elijah was not lacking in faith; he was exhausted, overwhelmed and crushed in his soul.

But, look what God does. He doesn't rebuke Elijah or chastise him for his lack of faith. Instead, God sent His Angel and fed him and let him sleep, and fed him again and strengthened him, and spoke to Elijah in a caring and comforting way.

Doesn't this tell us something sacred?

Low mood and depression does not disqualify us from God's presence. There are always valleys in this life even for the most spiritual among us. Elijah, Moses, Jonah, King David, Jeremiah and Job to name a few. Even Jesus Himself was described as a "Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." (Isaiah 53:3)

This emphasises that Jesus was not a distant deity but One who experienced the full range of human sorrow, emotional pain and suffering.

If you are in a season of low mood and depression, God has not left you, you are not less spiritual, and you are not broken beyond repair.

This is a season, not your identity.

The same God who met Elijah under the juniper tree will meet us, wherever we are. The same God who strengthened him, will strengthen us, and the same God who called him out of the cave, will call us too.

Until then, be kind to yourself, be gentle with your soul and trust in Psalm 23:4:

"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me."

You may be walking through a valley, but you are never alone. We have a great High Priest who steps into the storm of life, so that we know we are not alone.

No matter where we are on the journey, the love of God is faithful. God promises that He will lead, guide and restore us. If low mood and depression is a struggle, don't walk alone.

If low mood and depression is not your struggle, could God be calling you to be the friend, the brother or sister in Christ, who walks with the one who needs you?

Who can you reach out to today?

God bless