I haven't been able to pin point what the root cause of it is and I haven't been able to shake it off.
I do know that it's just my flesh rearing its ugly head and trying to cause me to fall.
Something I heard long ago from Dilbert Terry and my own pastor recently said something similar is this- Christians ought to live by principle rather than feeling.
In times like these it's very easy to give your flesh free course. I feel really angry, uncomfortable, I don't want to deal with anyone, I don't want to do anything, I don't want to go anywhere, and because of all that I can feel justified in the flesh for doing things that make my flesh 'feel good'. For instance:
Maybe I don't take my anger out on people but I just sit in front of the TV most of the day, or sleep in and laze around, or even stare at my phone reading articles all day.
I may not take my anger out on anyone but I am still feeding my flesh by making myself 'feel good'.
To help myself live by principle rather than feeling there are a few things I try to do:
Read my bible A LOT. Jesus said this:
Now ye are clean through the word which
I have spoken unto you.
John 15:3
The Holy Spirit wrote this:
Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave
himself for it;
that he might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water by the word
Ephesians 5:25&26
Reading the bible makes you clean. When our flesh is particularly strong you have to weaken it by strengthening the inner man. The inner man is strengthened the same way your physical body is strengthened: food.
And Jesus answered him, saying, it is
written, that man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word of God.
Luke 4:4
I've been reading through 2 Samuel and moving on to 1 Kings. I love the accounts written there. There is always something new to learn. For the particular mood I'm in it helps to read something I can easily pay attention to so it helps to read the books that have more action in them. I read more that way too because the accounts are so engaging.
Reading the bible also keeps the lines of communication open. I may not feel like reading the bible and I may not feel like praying but God is still talking to me and teaching me from His Word.
Pray.
Get everything off your chest and give all problems to God.
Get up early.
This may not have any affect on you but it surely does on me. Forcing myself out of bed early in the morning makes a big difference in my day.
The only reason I get up early is to do my devotions. If I decide to sleep in my flesh has won for the day.
Getting up to do my devotions shows my flesh I will not be controlled by it, I will be controlled by what is right and pleasing to God- spending quiet time alone with Him.
Don't give place to evil thoughts.
Something that happens when I'm in a bad mood is I begin to get angry at everyone for everything. My mind will bring up things I don't like about someone and the temptation is to keep those thought coming to make me feel better about myself.
The thought of foolishness is sin:
Proverbs 24:9b
Idle thoughts about people are foolish and they cause division.
Any time an evil thought about someone comes into my head I cast it out an apologize to the Lord. Allowing myself to think badly about someone will affect how I treat them and I do not want that. If they are wicked, God will deal with them, I don't have to.
My pastor says this a lot- keep short accounts with God.
Act on a matter of conviction right away. When God deals with you about something, confess/apologize/fix it right away no matter where you are.
Once you get it right then stay right.
Walk close to the Lord.
Well that's all. I hope this helps you in some way. Yes, this odd mood I'm in has prevented me from writing. That and I've been busy- it's almost Christmas!
Have a good Wednesday!
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