Moods

Moods

John 15: ⁹ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

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Walking into the stall, I saw the worse use of a toilet that I had to clean up. “I hate this job” I said to myself. When I was stuck in traffic, I sat behind the “slow” driver who left gaps. “I hate drivers like that” I groused. When I confirmed my suspicions of my sneaky boss looking at “my” ideas and stealing them, I set the person up for failure. “I hate bosses like that” I said to myself. I was in a bad mood in every instance.

• Looking back, I used the words “I hate” a lot.
• Looking back, I thought negatively a lot.
• Looking back, I had a lot to complain about.

JESUS implores HIS disciples to keep HIS commandments. A new commandment HE gave was for humans to “love one another”, not just tolerate them. HE said “If you keep MY commandments, you will abide in MY love.” All commandments were made off of one commandment, namely “Love one another.”

• JESUS wants me to decrease my negativity and increase my trust in HIM.
• JESUS wants me to look for opportunities to love those HE sends to me.
• JESUS wants me to see HIS examples of love and follow them.

Showing love actually guides my mood. I mean when I do what GOD says and show love to “those” people, the HOLY SPIRIT gets excited. No “thank you” is needed or expected because GOD has a special reward for me each time I serve someone silently.

GOD wants me to “go” and “serve” and “teach” and “baptize” and “pray” and “praise” and “show kindness” and “have patience” and “make peace” amongst a long list of things I could do right now. I am glad HE showed me examples of HIS love.

• Are you complaining a lot?
• What are you thankful for?
• Will you lift your spiritual eyes up and give thanks today?
• Will you show love to all those HE brings to your mind?

Daily Excitement

Psalm 116: ¹ I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
    he heard my cry for mercy.
² Because he turned his ear to me,
    I will call on him as long as I live.

³ The cords of death entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
⁴ Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “Lord, save me!”

⁵ The Lord is gracious and righteous;
    our God is full of compassion.
⁶ The Lord protects the unwary;
    when I was brought low, he saved me.

⁷ Return to your rest, my soul,
    for the Lord has been good to you.

⁸ For you, Lord, have delivered me from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
⁹ that I may walk before the Lord
    in the land of the living.

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Clouds overhead made it glum and it seemed like that was the beginning of my mood. “Why is it raining?” I asked in futility. I asked to borrow a car instead of taking the bus and my brother relented. The car was old and each time I shut the engine off I would have to open the hood and hotwire it to start it. No, it wasn’t stolen, the ignition just didn’t work well. “Why?”, was my question all day as things fell apart one by one.

• Sometimes I allow the weather to guide my mood.
• Sometimes I ask “why” on things I cannot control.
• Sometimes I let my mood be affected by my surroundings.

I met someone who absolutely loved storms. This person loved the rain and its purpose. That fascinated me and soon I looked at the rain differently. I saw purpose in the rain and GOD’s hand on the storm. I saw HIS power in what looked like destruction and might in what seemed to be devastation. GOD wanted me to see a different view.

• GOD wants me to be excited every day so I must change my mind when I think something is glum.
• GOD wants me to see HIS power during a storm rather than complaining about the storm.
• GOD wants me to call on HIM rather than complaining to HIM, this shows I trust in HIS way, HIS time and HIS power.

When I started seeing GOD in everything, I noticed I could handle the day a little better. Knowing GOD is at work makes me understand HE has compassion, HE is gracious and righteous. GOD saved me and my soul can rest instead of waiting for the perfect circumstance.

• Are you waiting?
• Do you want out of your circumstance?
• Can you recognize GOD’s wonderful might through the storm?