Have you ever asked yourself, “Why in the world would I be struggling with that?” Something you thought you’d never have to deal with suddenly becomes your daily battle. Perhaps you’ve wondered if Christians should even experience depression or anxiety. Aren’t we supposed to be “too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed”? (Please don’t put that on Facebook!)
That’s why I love the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19. Of all people you would think would never be depressed, you’d think Elijah—whose name literally means “Yahweh is God”—would be immune to anxiety, depression, worry, fear, or loneliness. Yet here we find him in chapter 19, wanting his life to be over.
The Mountaintop Before the Valley
Think about what Elijah had experienced before his depression:
- He predicted a famine, and it happened
- Birds miraculously brought him bread during the famine
- He witnessed an endless supply of oil for a widow during food shortages
- He raised the widow’s son from the dead
- He called down fire from heaven in a dramatic showdown with the prophets of Baal
And then, just one chapter later, we find him running away, hiding, and asking God to take his life. Why? Because Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife, threatened to kill him. You would think after calling fire from heaven, Elijah would respond with confidence. Instead, “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life” (1 Kings 19:3).
The Root of Elijah’s Despair
What sent this mighty prophet into such a tailspin? We get a hint in 1 Kings 19:4 when Elijah prays, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”
That statement reveals everything. Elijah is saying, “I should be past this by now. God, don’t you know who I am? I shouldn’t be struggling with this. I shouldn’t have a queen coming to kill me. I should be on Moses’ level by now.”
When God asks him twice, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9, 13), I can’t help but think God was emphasizing the “here” part. The Bible tells us Elijah walked 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Horeb, the Mountain of God. Who before Elijah spent 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain of God? Moses.
It’s as if God was saying, “What are you doing here? This is Moses’ mountain, not yours. Why are you trying to live Moses’ story? Why are you trying to enter yourself into the narrative of Moses? You’re not Moses, Elijah. You’re Elijah.”
When Your Life Doesn’t Match Your Expectations
That’s why most of us get depressed or in a wad—because we had these plans, expectations, and hopes, but our life took a different turn. We find ourselves wanting to run away and cry because our story was supposed to be one thing, but the story God was writing is something else entirely.
Have you been there? When your thoughts, plans, and expectations were heading in one direction, but you turned around one time and found yourself going the opposite way?
- “I thought I’d have the promotion by now. I’ve been with this company 20 years.”
- “Why didn’t that sale go through? I had it all planned out.”
- “I thought my marriage would be in a better place than it is right now.”
- “I thought I’d be married by now.”
- “I thought my relationship with God would have developed so much further along by now.”
- “Why am I still struggling with that same sin issue I’ve been wrestling with for years?”
God’s 5 Gifts When We’re in a Wad
What does God do when we’re whiny? What does God do when we’re depressed? Let me first point out what He doesn’t do. Not once in 1 Kings 19 will you see God condemning Elijah, berating him, telling him to get his stuff together, or shaming him. That’s worth noting, because when someone in your life is struggling, saying “get over it” rarely helps.
Instead, God gives Elijah five gifts:
1. Time and Space
God gave Elijah the gift of time and space. After hearing Jezebel wanted to kill him, Elijah took 40 days and 40 nights to get to the mountain of God. Some scholars believe he was on that mountain for two months; others believe it could have been as long as two years.
God didn’t say, “I need an answer by the end of business Thursday.” He let Elijah process, wrestle, struggle, and be honest. God’s probably not going to heal you in an instant either. It may take time. Be okay with that. Be honest with God and let the processing happen.
2. Energy
God gave Elijah the gift of energy through rest and nourishment. In 1 Kings 19:5-7, we read:
“Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once, an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water… The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.'”
If you’re counting, that’s two naps and two snacks in about three verses. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do for your soul is take a nap or sleep without setting an alarm. Sometimes the most important thing you can do for your soul is eat a loaf of bread (I like sourdough, for anybody who’s listening).
3. Simplicity
God gave Elijah simplicity by reminding him that God is often found in the quiet, not the spectacular:
“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:11-12).
I wonder if God was saying, “Elijah, you’re going to miss me a lot if you keep looking for me in just the big things. You’re going to miss most of my work if you ignore the small.”
4. Friends
God gave Elijah friends when he felt utterly alone. When Elijah complained, “I am the only one left” (1 Kings 19:14), God responded by telling him about Hazael, Jehu, Elisha, and “7,000 in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal” (1 Kings 19:18).
Sometimes when you’re down or depressed and wondering if you’re the only one, the greatest thing you can hear is a friend say, “Me too. I’m here. You’re not alone.”
5. Perspective
Finally, God gave Elijah the gift of perspective. Elijah was saying, “I’ve been preaching my face off, and I’m the only one. Just me. If I go, there goes your reputation, God.” But God reminded him that 7,000 other prophets would carry on the legacy, and Elisha would soon take Elijah’s place.
In other words, “Elijah, you missed it, buddy. God’s not a character in your story. You’re a small character in His story. This is you being a small part of what God is doing in the world.”
Putting It Into Practice
If you find yourself in an “Elijah season” of discouragement, try applying these five gifts:
- Give yourself time and space: Take a day, an afternoon, or a weekend to be honest with God. He’s big enough to handle your raw emotions.
- Restore your energy: Get proper rest and nourishment. Turn off the screens. Go outside and take a walk. As Jesus suggested in Matthew 6, watching birds can actually help relieve anxiety.
- Embrace simplicity: Look for God in the whispers of everyday life, not just in dramatic spiritual experiences.
- Connect with friends: Reach out to someone who can remind you you’re not alone. If you don’t have such a person, pray for God to send you a friend.
- Gain perspective: Remember that you’re part of God’s bigger story. As Elijah would later appear with Moses at Jesus’ transfiguration (Matthew 17), God was showing him where the story was ultimately heading—to the Messiah.
Remember, because of Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection, the best is yet to come. It’s like when Grandma tells you to “keep your fork” after the meal—it means dessert is coming. God is saying to you, as He did to Elijah, “It’s okay. This is going somewhere. This is the story of God, and you’re a part of it. But you have hope, because the best is yet to come.”
This blog post was adapted by Molly Atkins from ClearView Baptist Church’s sermon by Senior Pastor Matt Pearson on October 12, 2025. To watch the full sermon, click HERE.
