Tonight, I get to share with the Calvary Christian Assembly women for the fifth week. We’ve been looking at the process of change (knowing what you are letting go of and letting go of it; redefining who you are without what you lost; and new direction) alongside Elijah’s life.
Tonight we hit 1 Kings 19, which is perhaps the one Scripture I return to more often than most.
Elijah was a superhero. He stood up to all the prophets of Baal and the prophetesses of Asherah, and he systematically dismantled the idol worship of a nation, refocusing hearts on God.
And then he fell apart.
If you are going to step out in faith, there will be that eventual moment when you realize that you are walking on air. The same thing happened to Peter when he stepped out of the boat. Solid step, solid step, what am I doing??? Freakout, sink—glug, glug, glug.
You and I might face different freakouts. Maybe the bills just hit like a wave, or the emotions of those we love send us in a talespin, or we want to step out, but hit a wall of desperation, doom and despair.
Elijah shows us a very tangible process to deal with freakouts:
1. Be honest. Don’t try to put on your best face with God. Be honest. If He can’t handle your honest emotions, then you haven’t seen Him as God yet—just another person to please.
2. Take care of your body. The first thing God did was to send an angel to fix the physical part of the freakout. When you are depleted, your body chemicals respond and amplify your situation. Sleep, eat right foods, exercise and drink water.
3. Expect God to show up. Elijah ran from his situation, but he ran to the mountain of God. He demanded that God show up. He hollered at God, asked real questions of God, was honest with God and expected God to show up.
No matter where you are at today, God is real and rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Heb. 11). If you are in a freakout, even if you are sinking fast, focus your eyes on where you last saw God and expect Him to show up. He will.
Kim Martinez is a regular contributor to Ministry Today magazine’s blog. She is a writer, speaker and ministry coach. You can hear more from her at deepimprints.com.
