Suggested reading: 1 Kings chapter 19 verses 1-18

The crises that have faced the inhabitants of most countries in the world during the past 3 years have contributed to the millions of people who suffer from DEPRESSION each year. Accordingly, there has been a significant growth in the number of agencies that are seeking to support the sufferers. We would not wish, in any way, to discredit the excellent work that most of these agencies do to enhance the well-being of others; however, today’s meditation will seek to point us to the help that can be found in God, through the oft-neglected pages of His Word, the Bible! We will focus on the depression experienced by the prophet, ELIJAH.

Most of us will, no doubt, be aware that DEPRESSION can be:

• physical e.g., the aftermath of illness, work pressure, childbirth
• spiritual e.g., overcome by guilt, unconfessed sin, failure
• linked with our particular temperament – we are all different and depression affects some more easily than others
• a result of adverse circumstances that suddenly afflict us

• a combination of these factors

When seeking to support a depressed person, it is important to remember the following:

• quick or glib answers, which ignore the depth of their suffering and simply add to it, are unhelpful, e.g., ‘Things will get better’!
• they do not need a general / standard answer; i.e., a ‘one size, fits all’ answer that fails to address the particular nature of their depression
• we must acknowledge that their depression is real and not imagined

• we must be gracious as God was with Elijah

• be careful not to give them what we assume they need to overcome their depression – take time to decide what they genuinely need and seek to address it

To be continued