We’ve all been there.

Every single one of us have had those moments when our spirits are low.

For some of us, this somber mood can last for days and progress into full blown depression.

There is no shame as believers to fall into a funk.

You see, while we do have access to an abundant supply of joy, life surely happens.

While we forever have our faith as an anchor, it is human for us to shift our eyes off of Jesus.

Even Peter did and Jesus was only a few feet away from him. (Never mind that dude was properly walking on water. How many of us would have stepped out of that both and instantly went down? But I digress)

One Biblical Story of How To Fight Depression

Now I fully believe that depression is a spirit and we must fight it spiritually.

There is one particular story of depression that can give us hope and also practical steps to overcome this.

Follow me to 1 KIngs 19.

Elijah has had to flee from Jezebel after doing remarkable works in the previous chapter.

He was responsible for killing over 800 false prophets who ate at Jezebel’s table.

He fled for his life, knowing that Jezebel’s aim surely was to have him killed in return.

So, Elijah had quite the justifiable reason to be in low spirits.

In verse 4, we see him literally ask the Lord to take his life.

We see a rather profound display of God’s compassion for Elijah in the next few verses.

It is in this small section of the text that I want us to explore practical clues for personal application.

⁵ And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” ⁶ And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. ⁷ And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” ⁸ And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

1 Kings 19:5-8

The angel turned it all around for Elijah here with the simple instruction to eat and drink.

God, through this angel, loved Elijah back from the depths of depression.

Elijah was given physical sustenance and then given purpose.

Purpose will almost always, certainly cure temporary depressive episodes.

Fighting Depression with Self-Care

We too can follow this very simple advice.

God might not send a literal angel from above to come and pamper us back to superb mental health.

He perhaps would more likely send us an earthly angel in the form of a friend or loved one.

We can get loved on by someone we share our funk with.

But we can surely do simple things to nurse ourselves back to health.

Selfcare can look differently for each of us.

One thing is for sure is that we can start with the simple.

A long, hot, intentional bath can do wonders for our mood.

I would personally add the some background music to this.

I love to praise in the shower.

Another thing, quite like we see in the above text, we can practice selfcare through food.

This doesn’t have to conform to any specific standard.

We can opt for take-out or have left overs.

Still, if we can, taking that time to prepare an intentional meal. We can immerse ourselves in the process and prepare every ingredient with love.

Such a meal will be really satisfying and will be such a boost to our whole being.

Elijah was fed a gourmet cake baked on hot stones.

Yummy!

So yes, we ought to spoil ourselves sometimes with decadent indulgences.

Finally, note that Elijah needed to rest in this story.

We too, need not to neglect sleep if we intend to maintain optimal mental, physical and emotional health.

Naps are divine.

Final Word

Selfcare is definitely a practical and beneficial tactic to fight off depression.

We surely ought to pray and we can always immerse ourselves in worship.

By keeping our eyes on Jesus, we will always be rewarded with His peace.

We cannot negate the need for this.

It is such a relief and great privilege to see all the clues left in this blueprint for life called the Bible.

Praise God for the countless gems found within.

Spotlight On You

Tell me friend…Do you practice regular selfcare?

What does selfcare look like for you?

Show some love in the comments and let us know how you fight off depression.

Also, have you had night terrors or suffered sleep paralysis?

Read our previous post to learn how we fight sleep paralysis.

Until we see you next time…

Stay Blessed