Dealing With Our Low Moods

Feelings or moods can be slight or extreme and, in either case, we are never in one place emotionally for too long. When we are in a high mood, life looks good, doesn’t it? When we are emotionally high, things don’t feel so hard, we don’t take things too seriously, problems seem less difficult, and relationships flow much more easily.

But in low moods, life can look unbearably serious and hard. When we’re feeling low, we often misinterpret that which is happening to us and around us. Some of us fail to realize that our moods are always on the run, especially as we experience the transitions of life. We are all going to experience low moods because this is just part of what it means to be human.

The feelings we have in a low mood are not necessarily a reflection of reality. They are just feelings we feel in a low mood. Most of what we feel in a low mood are negative feelings and what we must teach ourselves to do is be patient with ourselves until our mood rises, which it will. I call this “out-waiting the devil.” You have the Spirit of patience. He doesn’t. In a low mood, you need to have patience with others and yourself. When we are in a low mood, any and every thing seems to upset us, doesn’t it?

It’s like the woman who was walking in front of a pet store which had a lot of animals outside in cages. Looking at the woman, a parrot in a cage yells out, “Hey lady, you’re ugly!” She couldn’t believe what she heard until the bird, again looking straight at her, repeated, “Hey lady, you’re ugly!”

Incensed, she went inside and confronted the pet store owner. The owner was appalled and said, “Ma’am, I am so sorry and I assure you that parrot will never do that again.” Walking out together, the woman and store owner passed by the bird’s cage. Dead silence. The bird said nothing.

The next day, the woman had to pass that way again and wondered if the parrot had truly repented. As she passed by, the parrot yelled, “Hey lady,” and both the pet store owner and the woman wanted to see what he’d say next. The parrot, looking at the woman, said, “You know.”

When we are in a low mood, even what a bird says to us can upset us. So, what are we to do? Let me suggest a 3D approach to dealing with our low moods:

1. You must DISCIPLINE yourself daily, hourly, minute by minute, to pay attention to your thinking.
Christians must think about how they think. Thoughts are the birthplace of every act. Study your
thoughts. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand your unhealthy thought patterns.

2. You must DECIDE to master your thoughts. You must DECIDE to embrace the clear parameters
as given in Philippians 4:8. If your thinking is straying from that which is true, noble, right, pure, lovely,
admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, then you are off course.

3. You must DETERMINE to consciously replace bad thoughts with good thoughts. Jesus taught us
to do this. “Bless those who curse you,” Jesus said. Instead of cursing them, bless them. “Pray
for those who despitefully use you.” Don’t seek revenge. Pray for them.” “Render good for evil.”
“Forgive.”

Starting today, let’s bring every single thought captive to Christ. It takes practice so don’t give up. I love the way THE MESSAGE paraphrases II Corinthians 10:5:

“We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience and maturity.”

I pray for healthy and wholesome thinking for all who read these words.

Richard

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