While a lot of attention has rightly been focused on the physical dangers of the COVID-19 virus and the economic impact of social distancing, more and more people are discussing its influence on our mental health. Anxiety, stress, fatigue and depression are a reality for many people in the midst of this pandemic. Perhaps you’re feeling some of these symptoms for the first time or maybe you’re finding that COVID-19 has exasperated what you were already feeling. I’d like to share where I believe the Bible intersects with COVID-19 and our mental health.
Before we consider what the Bible says about mental health, it’s important to recognize what it doesn’t say about it. The Bible isn’t a textbook for addressing mental health any more than it’s a manual for setting broken bones or curing cancer. As I’ve written in the past in discussing Jonathon Seidl’s struggle with anxiety and OCD, I believe that mental illness needs to be viewed through three lenses. The spiritual lens addresses those areas of wisdom and God’s will that can contribute to a person’s well-being. The counselling lens looks at issues like trauma, abuse, and loss and can give skills for understanding and addressing triggers to mental health problems. Finally, the psychiatric lens recognizes that chemical imbalances are part of the fall and often require medicine for effective treatment. Let’s consider the spiritual lens.
When I think of someone who relates to our current crisis, I think of Elijah. He didn’t live through a pandemic, but he did endure a 3-year famine. The nation would have been gripped in fear, wondering how long it would last. People’s finances were stretched to the point that many feared for their very lives. Just when the famine ended and Elijah thought that life could return to normal, the evil Queen Jezebel vowed to put him to death. It was out of the proverbial frying pan and into the fire. In 1 Kings 19:4, the prophet is afraid, exhausted and ready to end his life. He has an encounter with God and learns five crucial lessons.
1. Invest time with other people.
I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that Elijah’s path into despair and then back to recovery begins with him leaving his only companion (v. 3) and ends with God calling him to mentor someone who would be his partner and eventual successor (vv. 19-21). We need people. It’s still “not good” for us to be alone (Genesis 2:18).
2. Have realistic expectations of yourself and God.
When Elijah tells God to take his life he adds, “for I am no better than my fathers” (v. 4). Who told him that he had to be better than his fathers? When we place unrealistic expectations on ourselves, we set ourselves up for despair. Later, God shows Elijah a great wind, a strong earthquake, then fire, followed by a whisper. Elijah expected that God would bring fire down on Jezebel, but God showed him that He usually works through the whisper: quiet, patient prodding rather than big, dramatic interventions. If we demand that God act in a certain way, we’ll often be disillusioned.
3. Take care of your body.
I’m amazed at how God deals with Elijah’s suicidal thoughts. I wonder what I might have said or done. The first thing that God does is send an angel with some fresh baking and a jar of water (v. 6). We can’t deal with the pressures of this world if we’re not getting proper sleep, food and exercise.
4. Remind yourself that it’s often not as bad as you think.
Elijah had it bad, but he thought it was worse than it was. He dramatically tells God that he’s the only faithful one left (v. 10), but God makes it clear to him that there are another 7,000 who are just as faithful (v. 18). When we’re down, we can convince ourselves that we’re the only ones and nobody has it as bad as we do, but that’s seldom the case.
5. Focus on what you can control.
Elijah couldn’t do anything about Queen Jezebel. And as long as he fixated on her and her threats against him, he would wallow in helplessness. God redirected him and had him focus on what he could do, sending him to anoint the kings of Syria and Israel (vv. 15-16). It didn’t seem to immediately solve anything, but it was an important step and one that Elijah could control. We too need to focus on what we can do and trust God with what we can’t.
Elijah’s crisis doesn’t answer all of our questions. But God’s dealing with him gives us insight into some of the factors that can contribute to our mental health in times of crisis. And it reminds us that God is our ultimate hope in despair and His Word is our guide when we can’t see a way forward.
In awe of Him,
Paul
