The Depletion That Leads to Depression
Have you ever been around someone that was once full of life, but was later reduced to a deep depression? I certainly have. There was a man; we shall call him “Frank”. Frank was a man that was always full of life. As long as I can remember Frank was into something. He was either studying for another degree, working to invent or conquer another hurdle in his life, was investigating some mystery for which he was curious or pursuing pleasure (in a good way) with gusto.
I lost track for a few years while I was in the Navy. The next time I saw him, Frank was in such a deep depression that I did not even physically recognize him. I asked him what he had been up to and he shared with me a sad tale. He had continued the frantic pace of pursuits for which he was legendary (atengineering. When it became UARY apparent 9, he 2019 would not be re hired in your in their newspaper. hometown Don’t as an f engineer, problems developed www.okpress.com/ocan - CH least to me). He had married a woman that wanted him to leave his current employment and become a teacher (like she was). He went back to school, got the degree, and began to teach. After a while, he was doing well at school, but not at home and his wife finally divorced him as he passed her in popularity and ability at teaching. He floundered for a while and then met another woman that encouraged him to leave teaching to be a chemical engineer. Again, he left teaching, went back to school, and went into and she divorced him.
At this point, Frank decided he wanted to be a counselor, so he went back to school, got the degree, and went into counseling. It was at this point that the depression set in. He had run so hard for so long that he was exhausted and lonely and disillusioned. He sank into a deep depression for which he could not climb out. This depression had led to his being deemed disabled and now he was living on a disability income that was pennies compared to the salaries he had drawn earlier in life.
How did this happen? He had spent himself so completely at each step along the way that he had experienced some great victories, but had exhausted himself to the point he could not recover. In our scriptures today, Elijah, the greatest known of all the prophets, has just come from an incredible victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel We would expect to see him leading some great charge on the kingdom of Jezebel to dethrone her or leading some great revival back to the worship of God, but instead we find him sitting so depressed he asks God to kill him. How can this be? You may be spiritually depressed today as well. Do you have any spiritual energy or interest in growing or reaching out to others? If not, you may be spiritually depressed. We see in 1 Kings 19 how Elijah got there, but also how God got him out. Perhaps you might just find the way out as you read this passage as well.