Moody

Have you ever been Moody? Come on, we know the answer is a resounding yes! We have all have been there many times over. Yes, moods are a part of our lives, and we navigate multiple moods a day, sometimes even in a moment. Because of this, there are many days I have let my moods control me and dictate what I did and how I related to others. I bet you’re the same, which is why this is an important topic. I believe we can let Jesus lead us through our moods to become more like Him.

More times than not, our moods reveal what’s going on inside of us – the tension, struggle and the battles we face. No one is exempt, and we all have similar stuff going on inside of us. But far too often it’s set aside, and we say stuff like “You’re just moody,” or “That’s just the way you are.” When we let attitudes and moods control us, this minimizes the impact we have on ourselves and others. We end up missing opportunities to grow and mature in our faith.

We must never forget: how we treat others is the gauge of God within us!

This may be a big statement, but it’s true. God measures how much we’ve let Him in by His love living in us and then coming through us to others. It’s when we don’t want to, when we are offended, when we are justified and when we feel hurt that we are tested. Will we choose the love of God or our own recourse? I know I’ve failed many times at this, but I’m choosing to live and grow in the love of God so that I can become more like Him.

How about you? This is why we must tackle the moody part within us. We must address that part that we make excuses for and that we rationalize when in truth, that area needs to be touched and healed by God.

The good news is that Jesus is our healer, being patient through all of our moods. In fact, He embraces us and our moods. Instead of leaving us where we’re at, he leads us through it, so we can become more like Christ in ourselves and in our relationships.

The most common moods are sad, mad, happy, cranky, ashamed, confused, frustrated and excited. Have these impacted you in the past week? Since the answer is most likely yes, we must admit that our need of Jesus is massive for our daily lives. It’s our moment to let God into these areas so that He can shine through us like never before.

So how does God lead us through our moods so they don’t control us?

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-2

Notice it’s all about love!

His love will guide us through our moods so that we respond in a right manner. His love will convict us of our wrongs, leading us to be more like Him. His love will show us how to act right when we feel like it and when we don’t feel like it. This is how we become like Jesus on a daily basis.

Putting this into practice is two-fold.

First, we pray. When we pray, it gives Him the chance to come in and move on our behalf. God requires steps of faith, and prayer is a step of faith in our lives. He hears and answers our prayers, bringing us into His plan and peace. But to get there requires us to pray. I encourage you to keep praying no matter what you face. No matter the delay. No matter the resistance. God moves in our lives when we pray, so arise in faith and believe that He is able to do what you can’t. Our miracles are one prayer away!

Second, we reach out to others. When we reach out to others, we follow the plan of God in community. Our healing is linked to others (James 5:16), and when we embrace others great things can happen. To be clear, God is the answer, but He uses people in our lives for His plan and purpose. It’s how He set this up; therefore, our response to this truth dictates so much in our lives. Who we reach out to, who is in our lives, who we choose to do life with and who we trust has implications beyond what we see and it all impacts eternity.

Don’t let moods control your life, determining what you do and what you say. Life is too short to be led by them. God has placed greater capacity within us to be what He’s called us to be.

So what do you do when you are moody? It’s my hope that you pray and reach out to others. Let the love of God lead you through your stuff. Let His love live big in you.

Today is the day, and the time is now to move forward and live in freedom.

Have a great week and the best is yet to come,
PD