Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Dealing With Our Moodiness

Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

THEME OF THE DAY. DEALING WITH OUR MOODINESS. Do we ever get moody? Maybe we woke up on the wrong side of the bed and just felt grouchy, not wanting to confront a single human being the whole day. How about getting a little irritated over still yet another bout with a rebellious, non-compliant child and we let out a little impulsive anger? Or what about responding unkindly to an insensitive spouse who seems detached from the relationship? And let’s consider the job. Ever find ourselves wanting to call in sick not for just a day, but life? Yes, we all have bad mood days when we are more reactive to circumstances than being controlled in circumstances. But then, we have the good mood days. We roll out of bed with a spring in our step. We feel the joy of the Lord’s Presence. Life is so good. We cannot wait to get about the day looking forward to living it for the Lord with purpose and productivity. And people? We are so excited about the opportunity to meet and greet them throughout the day. We might say, “Our mood is on cloud nine.”

One of the results of sin entering into the world is the ever-changing swings of emotions we experience. We do get moody; sinfully so. We do have up days and down days. We do exercise faith one day, failing the next. Remember sin didn’t just affect part of us when our first parents disobeyed God. It impacted our whole being to include our emotions. Not a thing about us is untainted by sin. We never have pure and perfect anything to include our emotions, making us moody. And being moody impacts our relationships with one another as Christians and in our families. A little confession time. I get moody. I hope not a lot, but I do. My wife knows it. When I am moody, I retreat; I get quiet; I clam up. Each of us responds differently when the bad mood day comes. Some people complain, get angry, talk a lot (not in edifying ways), or act like me, become silent. Whatever the responses in our bad moods, if not Spirit and Word-controlled, we will strain, damage, and hurt relationships. Someday, we won’t have to deal with emotional swings. Someday, we will be like Christ and forever free from sinful sways of emotions. That day is not today. So before we get to that day, we need help in getting through the days of moodiness. And how may we? Today’s scripture.

One of the great dangers as fallen humans is we place upon the character of God our fallen humanness. We don’t mean to, but the devil strives hard for us to create a God in our image. If he accomplishes that, it erodes our confidence and faith in the One True God. Think about it. Is God moody? Is Jesus guided by changing emotions? Of course not, but we may easily think so. For instance, when we commit the same sin over and over, ever tempted to believe, “How can the Lord keep forgiving me?” Or maybe when we have allowed the world to quench our hunger for spiritual things, we may feel the tempter whisper, “It is no use. God won’t restore your passion.” Please don’t underestimate the power of Satan and sin to create within us a false view of God, making Him moody in dealing with us. And here is a warning if someone is feeling the urge to say, “Jim, I would never do that.” No Christian should ever think or utter the word “never” in anything. Remember Peter. There is no sin or failure Christians cannot do. Put never out of our vocabulary and mind except for one thing – the never-changing character of our Lord Jesus. Our Savior is never moody, never emotionally impulsive. He maintains a sameness forever and that is shouting news for us. He will always deal with us by His unchanging character; unchanging love, unchanging forgiveness, unchanging faithfulness, unchanging discipline, unchanging mercy . . . here is where we must go when we are moody. Rest in His unchangeableness and watch how less moody we become as we are changing more and more into His image by beholding Him in Word and prayer.

PRAYER: “Lord, I praise You, that unlike me, You never change, but remain constant in Your faithful, true, and loving character.”

QUOTE: “Trust not in your wavering feelings in your walk with the Lord but in His unwavering Word and Person”