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Struggling with spiritual depression? Learn from Elijah’s wilderness experience how remembering God’s past victories can bring hope in seasons of despair.
S3E4 – Clarifying Your Mission: Influence, Ministry, & Your Why – A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast
In Season 3, Episode 4 of A More Beautiful Life Collective podcast, we're exploring why clarifying your “why” is the keystone to living with purpose and avoiding burnout. We unpack how hustling without direction leads to overcommitment, comparison, and exhaustion, while a God-given mission statement provides traction, focus, and freedom to say no. Learn to align gifts, burdens, and seasons with your calling, filter decisions through a simple mission, and turn everyday influence—parenting, ministry, creative work—into fruitful Kingdom impact. Perfect for Christian women seeking intentional living, faith-centered productivity, and clarity of purpose.Read the full post here: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/clarifying-your-mission-influence-ministry-your-why/Get the 30 Days to a Life You Love Challenge here: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/product/30-days-to-a-life-you-love-challenge-tracker-slow-living-printable-tracker-faith-simplicity-peace/Get the Full Life You Love Toolkit here: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/product/a-life-you-love-toolkit-christian-intentional-living-planner-toolkit-for-women/Get the Build a More Beautiful Life: 5 Days to Align Your Faith, Family and Work here: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/product/build-a-more-beautiful-life-faith-and-family-devotional-workbook-5-day-christian-pdf-to-align-faith-family-and-work/Get The Faithful 12 Goal-setting Kickstart Planner Here: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/product/your-12-week-year-pdf-guide/ Get Cultivate: A Faithful Framework for Aspirations, Goals & Habits here: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/product/cultivate-a-faithful-framework-for-aspirations-goals-habits-christian-goal-setting-workbook-faith-based-planner-printable/ …Visit our Shop to get a copy of any of the resources mentioned in this episode: I’m your host, Cayce Fletcher, and you can learn a little bit more about me here. While you’re here, would you consider leaving a comment, rating, or review? You can find our podcast, A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube. Subscribe to the blog for access to our latest content and some freebies. I love creating and sharing resources with you. You can find all of our resources at A More Beautiful Life Collective Shop.Keep creating a life you love, and cultivating your heart for God.
When the Fog Rolls In
There’s a breathtaking moment that comes when you reach the summit of a long hike. Standing high above the valleys, you can look back and see the trail that carried you upward and the sweeping beauty that surrounds you. When I was in Austria, I had one of those moments—standing among the Alps, amazed at the view, everything else in my life seemed small.
But then, the fog rolled in. The clouds swallowed the mountaintop, the wind picked up, and suddenly the joy of the view disappeared into gray confusion. I couldn’t see the beauty anymore.
Our spiritual lives often feel like that hike. We experience mountaintop moments of joy and closeness to God, but then the fog of doubt, anxiety, or despair can settle in. When it does, we may find ourselves in the midst of spiritual depression, wondering why the joy has vanished and if God has left us.
This tension—the highs and lows, the mountaintops and valleys—isn’t new. The Bible gives us countless stories of people who faced despair after victory. One of the clearest examples comes from the prophet Elijah.
Elijah’s Wilderness: From Victory to Despair
In 1 Kings 18, Elijah experienced what might have been the highest moment of his ministry. In a dramatic showdown with the prophets of Baal, he called on God to prove Himself, and God answered with fire from heaven. The false prophets were defeated, and the people fell on their faces, declaring, “The Lord, He is God!” (v. 39).
If we had witnessed fire fall from heaven, we might think doubt would never enter our hearts again. But for Elijah, despair came quickly.
In the very next chapter, 1 Kings 19, Queen Jezebel vowed to kill him. Overwhelmed with fear, Elijah fled into the wilderness. There, under a broom tree, he collapsed in exhaustion and prayed, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life.” (v. 4).
How could the same man who saw God’s power so clearly suddenly sink into despair? His circumstances clouded his vision. The fog rolled in. And like Elijah, we too can fall into spiritual depression after our own “mountaintop” moments.
What Is Spiritual Depression?
Spiritual depression isn’t always the same as clinical depression, though they can overlap. Spiritual depression describes the experience of:
- Feeling distant from God, even when you’re still praying or reading Scripture.
- Losing joy in worship, fellowship, or spiritual practices.
- Being overwhelmed by doubt, fear, or despair despite knowing God’s promises.
- Forgetting past victories when present struggles seem overwhelming.
This kind of wilderness season often comes right after moments of blessing, success, or closeness with God—just as it did for Elijah.
God’s Care in the Wilderness
Elijah’s story doesn’t end under the broom tree. God did not abandon him in despair. Instead, God tenderly met his needs:
- Physical provision – An angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” Bread and water were miraculously provided (1 Kings 19:5–6).
- Rest – Elijah was given time to sleep and recover. God did not scold him for being weary; He gave him permission to rest.
- Renewed perspective – God brought Elijah to Mount Horeb, where he waited through wind, earthquake, and fire until he finally heard God’s gentle whisper (v. 12).
This teaches us something crucial: in seasons of spiritual depression, God doesn’t just demand more faith from us—He cares for our bodies, restores our perspective, and gently reminds us of His presence.
The Power of Remembering
So what does this mean for us when despair clouds our view? Elijah’s story points to one practical, powerful remedy: remembering God’s past faithfulness.
Elijah had seen God provide in the desert before. He had seen fire fall from heaven. But in his moment of fear, he forgot. His circumstances felt bigger than God’s promises.
We are the same way. When the fog of despair rolls in, we easily forget the mountaintop moments of God’s goodness in our lives. That’s why Scripture so often calls us to remember:
- “Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.” (1 Chron. 16:12)
- “These things I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease.” (Lam. 3:21–22)
- “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” (Ps. 103:2)
Remembering steadies our hearts in the wilderness.
Practical Ways to Remember in Seasons of Spiritual Depression
- Keep a Journal of God’s Faithfulness
Write down answered prayers, Scripture that spoke to you, or moments when God’s presence was clear. In times of despair, revisit those entries. - Tell Your Story
Share testimonies with friends or family of how God has worked in your life. Speaking those memories aloud reinforces hope. - Anchor in Scripture
Create a list of “stones of remembrance” in the Bible—passages that remind you of God’s faithfulness. Elijah’s story itself is one of those stones. - Look for Small Daily Victories
Even in hard seasons, God provides little glimpses of His care—strength for today, encouragement from a friend, a word in worship. Don’t miss them. - Worship in the Wilderness
When your heart feels heavy, worship can reorient your focus from your circumstances to God’s character.
A Word for Today: God’s Whisper Still Speaks
Elijah didn’t hear God in the dramatic wind, earthquake, or fire. He heard Him in a gentle whisper.
That whisper reminds us that God often meets us not in flashy miracles but in quiet, sustaining presence. Spiritual depression may feel like a fog that won’t lift, but God has not abandoned you. His whisper is still there—calling you back to remember who He is and what He has already done.
Remember the Summit
When I think back to that foggy day in the Alps, I don’t remember the discomfort of the cold or the coffee I drank to warm up. What I remember is the breathtaking view before the clouds rolled in.
The wilderness moments of spiritual depression work the same way. The fog may settle for a time, but the summit is still there. The God who brought you to the mountaintop is the same God who will carry you through the valley.
So when despair weighs heavy, pause. Remember His past victories. Recall His faithfulness. And trust that His whisper is still guiding you, even when you can’t see the way forward.
This is part 4 of a 7-part series on Wilderness Wanderings. You can read part 1 of the series here. You can get the full devotional on the shop.
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The Wilderness Wanderings: Walking Out of Darkness into Christ’s Light
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