Elijah, who’d been fearless for three years, became frightened when Jezebel threatened his life. So he ran to the desert, where he became depressed and announced, ‘I have had enough, LORD…Take my life’ (1 Kings 19:4 NIV 2011 Edition). Elijah became a prime candidate for depression when he got physically tired, emotionally drained, and felt
threatened. He was a basket case of emotional problems: fear, resentment, guilt, anger, loneliness, and worry. And the Bible says, ‘Elijah was a man just like us.’ He wrestled with the same problems we do. He got so depressed that he wanted to die! Why do we get ourselves into such emotional messes? Sometimes it’s because of what happens to us - bad circumstances that occur in our lives. But more often it’s due to faulty thinking. The truth is our emotions are generated by our thoughts, and when we think in destructive ways we are going to feel depressed. Our emotions spring from how we interpret life, and if you always see things from a negative viewpoint you’re going to get down. To rid yourself of harmful emotions you must learn to change the way you think. That’s why the Bible talks about being ‘transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Romans 12:2 KJV). To overcome depression you must learn to correct your wrong thinking and attitudes about life. In the words of Jesus, when you ‘know the truth…the truth will set you free’ (John 8:32 NIV 2011 Edition). Looking at things from the right point of view - God’s viewpoint - is the path to overcoming depression. |
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