Many Christians have bought into the preconceived notion that because they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they are guarded from discouragement. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Throughout God’s word, we see numerous situations where God’s people have dealt with a crushed spirit. Together, let’s look at one man whose circumstances reveal the pathways on which discouragement comes.
King Ahab and the Prophet Elijah
King Ahab was the seventh king of Israel. The mantle of his father’s questionable leadership has been passed on to him, and Ahab continues to lead the people of Israel away from the one true God. So, God sends His prophet, Elijah, with a message for the king.
In 1 Kings 17:1, NKJV, Elijah tells Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”
God declares to Ahab that there will be no rain or dew until He speaks it so. This poses a problem because without precipitation, crops will die, animals will die, and those he governs will not have access to water. Ahab’s disobedience has brought forth a true economic crisis.
God’s Care for the Prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17)
God is faithful in blessing those who are surrendered and obedient to His will.
During the drought, God cares for Elijah through His revelation and supernatural provision. God gives Elijah distinct directions as to where he can find a brook of flowing water, and God commanded the ravens to feed him there.
The Raven: A Natural Scavenger
God created the raven to be a natural scavenger. They search the earth looking for what has been killed and take and forage for themselves. Yet, in God’s perfect provision, He changed the natural way of these animals. Instead of being consumers, they became providers for Elijah, bringing him bread and meat each day.
Do you have a scavenger in your life who constantly takes what you bring to the table? I want to encourage you; God can shift the nature of those who take and instead create an atmosphere of blessing for you!
The Widow: From Little to Abundance
After a while, the brook God showed Elijah dried up, and God ordered him to go to Zarephath, where he would meet a widow who would sustain him. He found her and asked her for a cup of water and a piece of bread.
“So she said, ‘As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in a prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.’”
1 Kings 17:12, NKJV
Through God’s revelation, Elijah tells the widow to make him food first, and God will take care of her and her son. So the widow is obedient to Elijah and does as he says, and every day after that, the flour bin is not empty, and her oil does not dry up.
The One True God (1 Kings 18)
After three and a half years of no rain, King Ahab realizes that Elijah meant business. So, he seeks out Elijah to further investigate what God’s words and the drought mean for his kingdom. When Elijah and Ahab meet again, Elijah challenges him by saying:
“How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him, but if Baal, follow him.”
1 Kings 18:21, NKJV
How similarly we can relate in the church today. (Saints, if you are going to serve God, jump all the way in the pool! Stop dipping one foot in the shallow end and one in the club!)
Following this challenge, Elijah suggests a contest that would reveal who the one true God is. He tells Ahab to instruct his men to give them two bulls, one for Ahab and one for Elijah. Both men would sacrifice their bulls and lay them on each altar of wood, calling out to their prospective God, but no fire would be put under it. The God who responds by fire would be claimed as the one true God.
So the men who worshiped Baal began to worship and pray – nothing. They danced around the altar – nothing. Finally, Elijah responded:
“Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
1 Kings 18:27, NKJV
Then Elijah turned to the altar he had created and requested four barrels of water from King Ahab’s people. He poured it over the bull, around the altar, and dug a trench around it, filling it with water. He repeated this process two more times, as he wanted to ensure the people that no magic or trickery was involved. Then, Elijah prayed, and down from heaven came fire. It licked up the altar, the offering, the dirt, and even the water in the trench. When the people saw this, they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” (1 Kings 18:39)
Discouragement Within God’s People (1 Kings 19)
Elijah was a significant man of God. He was anointed, and God used him in supernatural ways. Yet, even in his divine calling, Elijah still experienced crippling discouragement.
“And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.’ And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers!”
1 Kings 19:1-4, NKJV
Elijah witnessed firsthand the power and faithfulness of God, yet he receives one threat from a woman and becomes depressed to the point he doesn’t want to live anymore. Can you relate?
I have seen many significant successes throughout my life. I am a pastor of a thriving church, have been chosen for prestigious awards, and have held important leadership roles. Yet, even with these blessings, I have experienced seasons of discouragement.
No one is immune from discouragement; it is what you do with it that matters most.
Stand Firm Against Discouragement: 3 Causes We Should Be Aware Of
In all my years of following Christ, I have learned that unless we nip discouragement in the bud, it can bloom into depression. Here are three things we should be aware of when life drags us down.
1. Opinions of Other People (vs. 1-3)
“And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.’ And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.”
1 Kings 19:1-3, NKJV
Jezebel, the king’s wife, sent a messenger to Elijah, telling him she was going to kill him. This life-threatening message causes him to run for his life. Why? Elijah heard something and then translated it into a mental reality.
Many of us become defeated when we hear the lies that we aren’t good enough, smart enough, wealthy enough, or loved enough. This has a detrimental effect on what we believe about ourselves and God.
Stand firm and stop worrying about what others say. Stop dressing for others, acting like others, and trying to be like others. Because God created you in His image, and He has a unique purpose just for you!
2. Your Own Point of View (vs. 4)
“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers!”
1 Kings 19:4, NKJV
Far too often, we look at our circumstances and decide that we have had enough. However, God is more than capable and has promised that He will never allow something in your life that you cannot bear.
Stand firm and stop telling yourself what you cannot do. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. God sees and is with you, no matter what you go through. And in His power and mercy, He will sustain you in every part of your life.
Keep moving forward; we serve a God who gives us the power to endure.
3. An Outcast Position (vs. 9-10)
“And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’”
1 Kings 19:9, NKJV
The underlying problem of Elijah’s discouragement and depression was that he isolated himself.
What does isolation look like? It is when you don’t want to be around anyone, don’t answer your phone calls, and refuse to engage in the things that fill your cup. Be assured: God never calls any of us to transverse the issues of our lives by ourselves.
Consider it this way – if I have built a blazing fire with ten logs and take one off to sit by itself, what will happen to that flamed log? It will burn out a lot sooner than the other nine! You won’t be able to sustain your flame for God when you are apart from the fire pit. You must stay intact.
God designed you to walk through trials and hardships with His church. He created us to encourage, support, pray for, and hold one another up. You need someone in your life who can believe in God with you and remind you of who God is.
Stand firm and live life as God intended – in a community with other people.
For more on discouragement, check out Pastor Jenkins’s sermon, Dealing With Discouragement and Depression.