Episode 28: Managing Our Moods
Do you ever feel like you’re in a bad mood? Or worse, have you ever been in a bad mood and don’t even know why? Moods can be a poor indicator of our actual emotions. They can be influenced by our circumstances, hormones, surroundings, and even a yearning for God that we have simply misunderstood. When thinking about moods, it’s important to consider three things:
1. Where do moods come from?
2. What do they do?
3. How can we manage them?
In the Psalms, there is a collection of writings by the Sons’ of Korah that highlight where moods often come from and what we can do to deal with our moods. In this short passage of scripture, these men show us how we can break through that confusing, frustrating, or disparaging mood.
The writer in Psalm 42 is deeply sad about the loss of his homeland. He was taken hostage and moved from his beloved city to a place in a mountainous region far from home. His mood becomes deeply discouraged as he thinks about what he’s lost and the fact he can’t go back to that time. As he sinks deeper and deeper into this mental mess, his mood begins to bind, blind, and confine him. Halfway through the Psalm, we begin to see a shift as he begins to put the following steps into action:
He acknowledges his mood by asking himself a question, “Why are you in despair?” When your moods overtake you, it’s wise to step back and ask yourself why? Reflect on where you are, and what led to getting stuck in that place.
He speaks hope. The psalmist says out loud “I shall again praise Him!” When we feel down it’s important to speak words full of life, regardless of our current feelings. Listen to your “self-talk.” Are your words heavy and negative or are they marked with hope and life? We must learn how to change our internal self-talk if we are ever going to move past our mood.
He remembers. Remembering the great things God has done in your past will fuel your faith and trust in Him for what He’ll do in the future. We must learn to have a miracle memory rather than mood memory.
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