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Introduction
This paper will discuss formal and informal leadership represented by God and Elijah the Prophet, respectively. It will focus on Elijahs going through illness and hopelessness and Gods assisting him in finding the path to salvation. According to Merida (2015), We have read of Elijahs mountaintop experience at Mount Carmel, but now we see Elijah down in the valley under a broom tree (p. 133). Based on this authors work, this paper will explore Elijahs fall and Gods role in his life.
Meridas Theme
The theme of the passage about Elijah is spiritual depression. It becomes apparent when Merida (2015) writes, Elijahs faith and prayer life have challenged us, but now Elijahs spiritual collapse serves as a warning and provides wise counsel (p. 133). Depression is defined as an affective disorder, which is so universal and timeless that it was reflected in ancient biblical texts (Hammen & Watkins, 2018). Lloyd-Jones (2016) states that spiritual depression can occur after an important event. In Elijahs case, his depression could be caused by his experiences at Mount Carmel.
The Relevance of the Theme
Elijahs story is relevant today because of its resemblance to authentic leadership. This leadership style is viewed as a development process in which leaders develop as a result of important life events (Northouse, 2019). In Elijah, his depression was a significant event that negatively affected his life. According to Schnarr (2020), spiritual depression can be cured by spiritual awakening that involves establishing a relationship with God based on love and freedom. Elijah demonstrates this process by showing that losing faith leads to misery and restoring a relationship with God results in spiritual recovery.
The Significance of the Theme for Endeavors
As Shaughnessy et al. (2017) note, organizations exist in the formal and informal dimensions. Informal leadership means colleagues social perceptions that determine who is viewed as a leader (Shaughnessy et al., 2017). Based on this definition, Elijah can be considered an informal leader, responding to a formal leader God. In modern organizations, formal leaders notice employees with outstanding characteristics and establish relationships with them. The relationship between formal and informal dimensions is vital for organizational performance because, when performance declines, formal leaders may turn to informal leaders to identify and solve the issue.
Conclusion
Those who believe in God remain stoic regardless of what hardships they experience. As the Bible says, people are expected to have eternal faith in God: I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me (New International Version, 1973/2011, Jeremiah 32:40). As this paper shows, Elijah faced a fall and illness when he lost his faith. His story also shows that depression has existed since biblical times, and believing in God may help one attain spiritual recovery from it.
References
Hammen, C., & Watkins, E. (2018). Depression (3rd ed.). Routledge. Web.
Holy Bible: New International Version (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1973)
Lloyd-Jones, D. M. (2016). Spiritual depression: Its causes and cures. ProQuest Ebook Central. Web.
Merida, T. (2015). Christ-centered exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings. B&H Publishing Group.
Schnarr, G. (2020). Spiritual recovery: A twelve-step guide. ProQuest Ebook Central. Web.
Shaughnessy, B. A., Treadway, D. C., Breland, J. W., & Perrewé, P. L. (2017). Informal leadership status and individual performance: The roles of political skill and political will. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 24(1), 8394. Web.
Northouse, P. (2019). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). Sage Publications.
Annotated Bibliography
Hammen, C., & Watkins, E. (2018). Depression (3rd ed.). Routledge. Web.
This book provides comprehensive information on depression, including its causes, effects, and clinical examples. It is a high-quality source since it uses analytical methods, different perspectives, and examples. The authors are experts in this field because they are clinical psychologists who are also involved in research on depression. The book is relevant because it gives an understanding of Elijahs experiences during the period described in the paper. The full-text PDF of the source was found in the Jerry Falwell Library (JFL).
Lloyd-Jones, D. M. (2016). Spiritual depression: Its causes and cures. ProQuest Ebook Central. Web.
This book provides a religious perspective on spiritual depression, explaining how one can return to faith in God after losing it due to depression. Although the source does not use scientific methods, it offers a useful and practical approach to spiritual recovery. Its author was a Christian preacher with medical training and published over 60 religious books. The source is relevant because it stresses the importance of believing in God to overcome hardships. The full text of the book was found in the JFL.
Schnarr, G. (2020). Spiritual recovery: A twelve-step guide. ProQuest Ebook Central. Web.
The book helps readers achieve spiritual recovery by restoring their connection to God, and it is based on the principles of the 12-step program of Alcohol Anonymous. The quality of this source is high because it relies on spiritual teachings and Emanuel Swedenborgs philosophy. The author of the book is a professor of religion and has written eight books on spiritual growth and religion. This source is relevant to the assignment because it helps understand Elijahs recovery needs and the destructive power of depression. The full text of the book was found in the JFL.
Shaughnessy, B. A., Treadway, D. C., Breland, J. W., & Perrewé, P. L. (2017). Informal leadership status and individual performance: The roles of political skill and political will. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 24(1), 8394. Web.
This article explores the role of formal and informal leadership in the organization and the relationship between them. The quality of the source is high as it describes in detail the research methods and measures that were used to obtain the results. The authors have written many other publications devoted to the topic of organizational structure and leadership. The source is relevant because the information about formal and informal leadership discussed in it helped define the relationships between God and Elijah. The full text of the book was found in the JFL.
Northouse, P. (2019). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). Sage Publications.
This book discusses many leadership theories, styles, and approaches, bridging the gap between theory and practice. It is a high-quality source because of its clear organization and reliance on the latest scientific research. The books author is a professor of communication and has written other books on the topic. The source is relevant since it describes various leadership styles, including authentic leadership, which was referred to in the paper. The full text of the book was found in the JFL.
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