“But, God, I am just too miserable to do anything!”

Elijah’s victory on Mt. Carmel was followed by a terrible depression.  He ran off, alone, into the wilds and complained to the Lord: “Nobody ever comes through for me. I am so lonely.  I’m the only one left here who loves You.”  It was not true, but he believed it. The prophet’s exhaustion created a skewed perspective far from reality.  He was tangled up so tightly in self-pity that he could not even remember the triumph of a few days prior. God was patient with him.  He sent a fresh vision to the prophet, gave him rest, and told him to go find Elisha to help carry the load!  *1 Kings 18

Do you ever get tangled up in a web of self-pity, feeling like you are the only one going through pain, the only one who struggles, without a real friend, living a life no one else would want to live? 

The angst is real and so is the pain.  You long for someone to ‘really understand,’ don’t you?   Here’s the hard truth. The last thing you need is to have someone jump into the pit with you!  As much as you might think it would be good to have all those negative thoughts affirmed by someone who “really cares,” you need to be pulled up and out of that swamp!  

John Maxwell writes that ‘a major cause of poor mental health is self-absorption. Selfishness ultimately hurts not only the people around a self-focused person, but also the selfish person himself. …

That is the reason that Dr. Karl Menninger (renowned psychiatrist) responded the way he did when someone asked, ‘What would advise a person to do if he felt a nervous breakdown coming on?’ Most people expected him reply, ‘consult a psychiatrist.’ To their astonishment, he said, ‘Lock up your house, go across the railroad tracks, find someone in need, and do something to help that person.’” - Failing Forward, Nelson, 2000

The wisest Counselor said - "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?" (Luke 9:24-25, NLT)

Gain by giving. Win by losing. Forget yourself, find yourself!  It just isn’t natural! Perhaps not, but, it’s the truth!

Is your life a mess?  For a thousand reasons, it can be. 
Sickness comes and stays! 
Your spouse gets mean and miserable. 
Yesterday’s poor choices about money come collecting today.
A time of high output leaves fatigue that overwhelms.  

So what are you going to do?   Run away? Elijah tried that.  Complain? He did that, too.  Many will struggle with the instinct to protect self, to hoard resources, to feed their pain!  Elijah did.  God asked him, “What are you doing here? Go back home!”   It must have been a tough choice for the prophet, but in obedience he found the grace of God and the renewal he needed.  So will you!

The word from the Word  says "Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” (Luke 6:38, The Message)
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Be Thou My Vision (Slane)

Be Thou my vision,

O Lord of my heart.

Naught be all else to me

Save that Thou art.

Thou my best thought,

By day or by night,

Waking or sleeping,

Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom,

Be Thou my true Word.

I ever with Thee

And Thou with me Lord.

Thou, my great Father,

I, Thy true son.

Thou in me dwelling,

And I with Thee one.

Be Thou my shield

And my sword for the fight.

Be Thou my dignity,

Be Thou my might.

Thou my soul's shelter,

And Thou my high tow'r.

Raise Thou me heav'nward,

O pow'r of my pow'r.

Riches I heed not,

Nor man's empty praise.

Thou mine inheritance,

Now and always.

Thou and Thou only,

First in my heart!

High King of heaven.

My treasure, Thou art.

High King of heaven,

When vict'ry is won,

May I reach heaven's joys,

O bright heaven's Sun!

Heart of my own heart,

Whatever befall.

Still be my vision

O Ruler of all.

Eleanor Henrietta Hull | Mary Elizabeth Byrne

© Words: Public Domain