Right after his greatest victory, Elijah became so depressed that he reached his breaking point and asked God to take his life (see 1 Kings 19:4). He had just called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel, when he went from exhilaration to exhaustion. And it happened very quickly. We forget that even when we’re successful and love what we do, it can be physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. Exhaustion made Elijah lose perspective. He had just defeated 850 false prophets (see 1 Kings 18:19), and now he was running from one woman: Jezebel. We can often find that exhaustion takes the place of faith. It can distort our thinking and make us forget God’s power and promises. Mental fatigue combined with physical exhaustion is a draining combination that can bring hopelessness and create the illusion that we have no options. Fear made Elijah isolate himself. Leaving his servant in Beersheba, he went into the wilderness and told God, ‘I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too’ (1 Kings 19:10 NIV). When we’ve reached our breaking point, it isn’t the time to isolate ourselves. It’s a time when we need to reach out for God and the people who love us and can help us get back up. Even Paul needed help. After writing, ‘When we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. We found trouble all around us. We had fighting on the outside and fear on the inside,’ he added, ‘But God, who comforts those who are troubled, comforted us when Titus came’ (2 Corinthians 7:5-6 NCV). When we’re approaching our breaking point, let’s try and remember to reach out to our encouragers, and most importantly, to God.

What Now?

Thank God for the people in your life who are your encouragers, who help you regain your perspective and resilience when you’re exhausted by the situation you’re in.