A Change of Moods

Key Verse to Read and Meditate

For thus said the LORD God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15,ESV)

For Insight

At times we may be in a bad mood. Maybe we got up on the wrong side of the bed as people often ask someone in a bad mood. Maybe we are missing something needful in our diet. Maybe life isn’t going well for us. Maybe we are not getting enough sleep. Maybe we are dealing with people who have mood swings of their own and it’s affecting us. Maybe we are at a point in life where our hormones are shifting and throwing us off physiologically. Maybe we’re just feeling grouchy or irritable and we just don’t know why. As we search our inner being we can’t come up with any particular reason why we’re feeling like we are, we just are. When we can’t figure out what our problem is a good place to go in the Bible are Read Psalm 42:5 and 43 where David asked himself the question “what’s wrong with you, soul? Trust in God, get over yourself and snap out of it.

In these frail bodies we’re going to experience moodiness from time to time. Moods are almost always related to something physical. Sometimes people will say just ignore the (bad) mood and it will go away on its own; just get on with your day and work around it. That doesn’t always work and try as we might the mood ends up controlling us instead of the other way around. Moods, like every other condition can be submitted to God in prayer and he can help us not only identify the reason we’re feeling especially irritated, grouchy, unhappy, etc he can reset us and put is in that needed and desired state of peace or emotional balance.

There are numerous places in the Bible that help us know what to do when a certain mood wants to control us:

If we’re angry we can Read James 1:19-20

If we’re feeling impatient, we might Read Romans 12:12  

If we’re feeling discouraged, we might Read Isaiah 41:10

If we’re feeling fearful or not in control of our emotions or thoughts, we can Read 2 Tim. 1:7

If we’re feeling anxious we can read Read Phil. 4:6-7

If we’re feeling hopeless about our future we can Read Jer. 29:11

If we’re feeling lonely, we can Read Hebrews 13:5

If we’re feeling discontent, we can Read Phil. 4:11

If we’re despairing, we can Read 2 Cor. 4:7-9

If we’re feeling defeated or overwhelmed, we can Read Matt. 11:28-30

If we’re feeling depressed or blue, we can  Read Psalm 34:18

If we’re feeling unhappy, we can Read I Peter 5:7

If we’re feeling agitated we can Read John 14:1 

If we’ve taken the lane marked self-pity we can Read Col. 3:1-2

In Isaiah 30 God was talking to the Israelites about their rebellious nature and isn’t our bad or foul mood rebellion against or counterproductive to the peace, joy and happiness God has knit into our spirit when he created us? No matter what mood we are in God has an answer and counter for it. I like using Isaiah 30 as a reminder of how to help a foul mood dissipate so it doesn’t ruin my day or the day of others. Isaiah says in returning and rest, we’ll be strengthened. That includes having control over whatever mood we are in the grips of.  

The mood may not lift of shift immediately after we read the passage we have gone to. It may take a minute or awhile. In that case we should keep returning to it or even visit several more places that have the same or similar message. As we do that the Holy Spirit—who is never anything except joyful and at peace—will counsel us or lead us into a quiet time until we feel our heart rate slowing down or our mood evening out and we start going back to our normal self, back to a good mood and experiencing inner peace.

It’s impossible to exhaust what abiding in Jesus can do for us. It’s not until we start to test it out and intentionally draw from him daily we discover Jesus truly is sufficient for every need we experience including managing our moods.      

Jesus, more and more I’m learning what a pleasant place abiding in you is! It has become the place where my soul is fed and even my moods and be controlled instead of theme controlling me. Bless you, my wonderful Lord and Savior. Amen

Ask Yourself:

What kind of mood am I in today? Do I know why I’m feeling like I am today? Will I be in a better mood if I spend some time in God’s Word?

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