Yesterday was an odd day for me. I ended up in a bad mood at the end of the work day.
Now, I know some people have bad moods frequently, but I do not. I am almost never in a serious bad mood. I will have moments of being upset about things, but I tend not to stay in bad moods at all. This bad mood, however, was a serious one.
Immediately, of course, I started thinking about how I got there (who to blame, in other words). Finding someone or something else to blame for our bad moods is one of our weaknesses. Things have been somewhat odd in my life recently, after many years of stability, so that is part of it. Part of it arises from people around me (co-workers and such), and there is no question that it was immediately triggered and traceable to a particularly harsh and negative comment by an acquaintance. Part of it may be digestive, who knows? But it was a bad mood.
It has been awhile since I have recognized being in a bad mood, so I found it interesting. I even managed to live through it. How should I view it, however?
First, I fully understand (and understood yesterday) that there is no justification for acting as if I am in a bad mood or for letting it affect how I treat anyone. My duty is to love my neighbor and a bad mood does not lessen or release that duty. How I am feeling is not very important, after all, compared to even the slightest need of my neighbor. My bad mood is just something with which I have to cope.
Second, I know it will not last forever. Even in the midst of it, I know it will end sometime. Spending time with my wife is the best way to end a bad mood, by the way. A nap sometimes helps or even a shower. But I know it will end.
Third, I recognize that the truth is that I just feel bad. Things are not actually any worse than they were the day before, I just feel bad. I have learned something, perhaps, that I did not know before (such as hearing such a negative comment from someone), but nothing is really worse. I may have a better understanding of how bad something is, but nothing is worse than it was.
Fourth, it did, in fact, end. I am not in a bad mood today. I was not even in a bad mood last night. Today, it is as if the bad mood never happened.
That is the nature of our life. Whatever we feel at the moment is, to us, the "truth" of that moment. If we feel bad, then we think everything is bad. If we feel good, then we think everything is good. Our feelings become the basis for our judgment. I think this is part of why churches have so generally gone to "feel good" services. You know the kind I mean, the kind where the goal is to make everyone feel good. So, we talk about the kindness and greatness of God, we sing songs about how much we love God and like being His people, our prayers are all about how good everything is. We think that if we make everyone feel good, maybe they will come back to see us again. Or, maybe, we really think that feeling good is what matters most.
In the midst of my bad mood, however, I never for a moment doubted God. I never questioned His word or His faithfulness. I never believed for a moment that "everything was bad." I was in a bad mood and knew I was in a bad mood. Habakkuk had this correct long ago:
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food,
The flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
If I am a true man of God, then I will continue to "take joy" even when there is no fruit, no produce, and no flock. How much more will I take joy when, in the presence of those things, I just "feel" like there is no fruit.
A bad mood is just a feeling that there is no fruit, no produce, and no flock. God remains the God of my salvation.
All glory be to Him.
Now, I know some people have bad moods frequently, but I do not. I am almost never in a serious bad mood. I will have moments of being upset about things, but I tend not to stay in bad moods at all. This bad mood, however, was a serious one.
Immediately, of course, I started thinking about how I got there (who to blame, in other words). Finding someone or something else to blame for our bad moods is one of our weaknesses. Things have been somewhat odd in my life recently, after many years of stability, so that is part of it. Part of it arises from people around me (co-workers and such), and there is no question that it was immediately triggered and traceable to a particularly harsh and negative comment by an acquaintance. Part of it may be digestive, who knows? But it was a bad mood.
It has been awhile since I have recognized being in a bad mood, so I found it interesting. I even managed to live through it. How should I view it, however?
First, I fully understand (and understood yesterday) that there is no justification for acting as if I am in a bad mood or for letting it affect how I treat anyone. My duty is to love my neighbor and a bad mood does not lessen or release that duty. How I am feeling is not very important, after all, compared to even the slightest need of my neighbor. My bad mood is just something with which I have to cope.
Second, I know it will not last forever. Even in the midst of it, I know it will end sometime. Spending time with my wife is the best way to end a bad mood, by the way. A nap sometimes helps or even a shower. But I know it will end.
Third, I recognize that the truth is that I just feel bad. Things are not actually any worse than they were the day before, I just feel bad. I have learned something, perhaps, that I did not know before (such as hearing such a negative comment from someone), but nothing is really worse. I may have a better understanding of how bad something is, but nothing is worse than it was.
Fourth, it did, in fact, end. I am not in a bad mood today. I was not even in a bad mood last night. Today, it is as if the bad mood never happened.
That is the nature of our life. Whatever we feel at the moment is, to us, the "truth" of that moment. If we feel bad, then we think everything is bad. If we feel good, then we think everything is good. Our feelings become the basis for our judgment. I think this is part of why churches have so generally gone to "feel good" services. You know the kind I mean, the kind where the goal is to make everyone feel good. So, we talk about the kindness and greatness of God, we sing songs about how much we love God and like being His people, our prayers are all about how good everything is. We think that if we make everyone feel good, maybe they will come back to see us again. Or, maybe, we really think that feeling good is what matters most.
In the midst of my bad mood, however, I never for a moment doubted God. I never questioned His word or His faithfulness. I never believed for a moment that "everything was bad." I was in a bad mood and knew I was in a bad mood. Habakkuk had this correct long ago:
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food,
The flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
If I am a true man of God, then I will continue to "take joy" even when there is no fruit, no produce, and no flock. How much more will I take joy when, in the presence of those things, I just "feel" like there is no fruit.
A bad mood is just a feeling that there is no fruit, no produce, and no flock. God remains the God of my salvation.
All glory be to Him.