"Moods nearly always are rooted in some physical circumstance, not in our true inner self. It is a continual struggle not to listen to the moods which arise as a result of our physical condition, but we must never submit to them for a second. We have to pick ourselves up by the back of the neck and shake ourselves; then we will find that we can do what we believed we were unable to do. The problem that most of us are cursed with is simply that we won’t."
Oswald Chambers - My Utmost For His Highest - May 20
I once heard a quote that said "We cant let our circumstances dictate whether or not we are joyful." It was such a simple saying but it has had a constant impact on my life because it's so stinkin' true! There is no such thing as a perfect day, and if we wait around for one in order to be joyful then we will live our entire lives in a self dug pit of depression, anxiety, worry, anger... The list goes on and on, but the point I'm trying to make is that if we are not fighting EVERY SINGLE DAY then we will be absolutely consumed by our own sinful thoughts and fears.
We don't wait to take care of our responsibilities until we "feel" like doing them. I am no expert, but I feel like if Jesus had waited until He "felt" like going to Calvary... We might have been waiting a while. The reality is that our circumstances change. They change for better or for worse. A lot of the time we look at what God is doing in our lives, and the trials He puts us through and we become discouraged because it's "not what my life is supposed to look like!".. I HATE that... I really do! Because I am so guilty of that so often! I look at Pinterest and scan through the interior design ideas and look at all the pretty things I could do. I sit and I think "I could totally do that if..." It's that little word: "if". It gets us all thinking, doesn't it? "IF I only had the money to do that", "If I only had a job that paid enough for me to be able to do that", "If only my husband had a job that paid enough for me to be able to do that", "If only I had a husband!"... If, if, if...
That stupid little word.. Who would have thought that two letters could start such an Indiana Jones style rock slide of discontentment?
And the sad thing is that most of the time we let it run its course! We don't fight it like we need to be doing. We become bitter, sad, melancholy, and discontent because we listen to closely to how our moods tell us to feel.
I keep thinking of the verse in 2 Corinthians that says "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
How amazing is it that I have a God who makes His power perfect in my weakness? I sit and let myself be berated by sinful, ugly thoughts and here is my King looking down on me with mercy and compassion, and works in me to make me holy like Him despite that??
As good little Christians, we all know that God has given us the tools to fight our sinful thoughts and moods. That's pretty much common knowledge. I'm blown away by how blunt Oswald Chambers was when he stated that the problem is not that we CAN'T pick ourselves up, the problem is that we WON'T! God has given us volition, which means we have free will to act and make decisions for ourselves within the limits He set for us. That awesome gift of volition also presents us with very real personal accountability. That means that we are free to fight or succumb to our sinful moods, but we are not free from the consequences thereof.
But when you think about it, the only reason we would stew in our own thoughts is because it makes us feel victimized. We LIKE having a pity party. Who wants to be accountable for something when we can just play the victim? But in training our mind to go there, and blame circumstance for the fact that we are not joyful, habituates us into becoming bitter, hard, angry and un-compassionate peoples. If you become this way, you have let yourself leave your first love, and you are no longer living in the reality of the gospel. What kind of person wants to listen to someone complain about life for an hour, and then hear them turn right around and start talking about how wonderful Christ is? You would sound insane.. You cannot be a good ambassador and witness for Christ if you are a crazy Christian!
Now, please don't hear this as me saying that if you have bad moods, or find yourself complaining, that you aren't saved, or that you are a bad Christian. Because that is 0% what I am saying. I complain so much, and my heart is so often consumed by my moods and emotions, that sometimes I start to feel anxious about my situation.. and my life is pretty stinking wonderful!!
What I am saying is that no matter what your life looks like, there will always be something that you are waiting for, something that is wrong, and something that you desire. Wherever you are, and at any given time, you will always have those 3 things. But by the grace of God, we don't have to let those three clouds keep us from seeing the Sun. :) Do you get what I am saying? God is the One who ordains our lives. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness, which means you have what you have, and do not have what you do not have because He said so!
We need to stop looking at the unmet earthly desires so much, and focus on what is true: the message of His glorious gospel, His magnanimous compassion and forgiveness, His unfailing and all consuming love and mercy, His never-ending faithfulness, and perfect provision for our every need. When we study, meditate, and focus on these things, then we are freed up to live in the reality of our glorious salvation. :)
The fight against my discontentment, emotions, and moods isn't going to end in this lifetime. But I walk in the spotlight of the Almighty who is ever living and working in me, and has promised to finish what He started(Philippians 1:6)! We have the ability, by the grace of God, to fight our sin, to wage war against our sinful nature. And the best part is that we are not alone and we will never be left alone.
So my advice, for those of you who have those 3 things burning in your head: "I am waiting for _____, ______ is wrong in my life, and I desire ______", my advice is to do exactly what Paul tells us to do: "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
Do not let your circumstance dictate whether or not you are joyful.
Give Him your anxious thoughts, your desires and your worries, and let your mind be filled with the truth of His amazing love and provision. You don't know everything, and you will never get to know everything. For now, your responsibility is to put it in the hands of the Creator, and to walk excellently while you are waiting, knowing that He who is in you, is greater than he who is in the world, and He will not let His child go without what they need. :)
