Even Heroes Get Depressed: Faith, Mental Health, and Hope

After one of Elijah’s greatest victories for God, this prophet suddenly plunged into fear and depression. Threatened by an angry queen, Elijah fled into the wilderness, collapsed under a broom tree, and begged for death: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” This mighty man of God genuinely felt he had hit rock bottom, believing his work was futile and he was all alone.

Yet God did not rebuke or abandon Elijah for his meltdown. Instead, “suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Get up and eat’”—a divine messenger bringing food and water for the weary prophet. God tenderly cared for His exhausted servant, providing rest and nourishment. As Ellen G. White notes, “Did God forsake Elijah in his hour of trial? Oh, no! He loved His servant no less when Elijah felt himself forsaken of God and man than when, in answer to his prayer, fire flashed from heaven.” Even at Elijah’s lowest point, God’s love for him hadn’t changed one bit.

Job is another biblical hero who plumbed the depths of despair. This man lost his children, his health, and everything he valued. In his agony, Job cursed the day he was born and even longed for death, crying out, “Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, to those who long for death that does not come?” Here we see a righteous man so distraught that he saw no point in living. Yet even as Job vented his pain and confusion, God did not condemn him. In the end, the Lord spoke to Job out of a whirlwind, reminding him that He was still in control. Through that encounter, Job’s hope was rekindled—he eventually confessed, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him,” and “I know that my Redeemer lives.” God later restored Job’s life with new blessings. Job’s story shows that questioning and even feeling crushed did not separate him from God’s care. The same God who sustained Job in his suffering is present in our darkest moments, too, even when we don’t feel it.

King David—the warrior-poet famed for his Psalms—was no stranger to anxiety and depression. Some of his psalms read like the journal of a man battling inner darkness. He wrote candidly, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? ... How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?” Here is David, “a man after God’s own heart,” admitting that he felt forgotten by God and overwhelmed by constant sorrow and racing thoughts.

Yet David’s songs of sorrow almost always end in hope. In the very same psalm, after pouring out his despair, David affirms his trust in God’s unfailing love and promises to “sing the Lord’s praise” again (see Psalm 13:5–6). In other psalms, he repeatedly encourages himself to “hope in God” even while in turmoil. David’s honesty with God teaches us that we can pour out our darkest feelings in prayer and still cling to faith. He found that anguish and faith are not mutually exclusive – one can cry, question, and struggle while still holding onto God, who ultimately sustains us.

Jeremiah, known as the “weeping prophet,” battled intense loneliness and depression in his calling. He was tasked with delivering God’s messages to a people who mocked and rejected him. This constant opposition wore heavily on Jeremiah’s heart. He became so discouraged that he eventually lamented his own birth. “Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?” he cried. Such words lay bare a prophet so despairing that he wished he had never been born – a vivid picture of deep emotional pain.

But God did not abandon Jeremiah. The Lord had actually warned and encouraged him from the start, saying, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” and “They will fight against you but will not overcome you” (Jeremiah 1:8, 1:19). Those promises still held true even when Jeremiah couldn’t feel it. In the end, Jeremiah endured with God’s help and saw the fulfillment of some of his prophecies. His survival through despair teaches us that God’s purposes for us are not wiped out by our emotional struggles. The Lord who stood by Jeremiah in the pit (literally and figuratively) stands by us in our lowest pits as well.