A “normal”, beautiful day, one filled with good attitude and hope, met me at the break of dawn this morning. Don’t you simply love those kinds of days? With eager anticipation of taking on a new Monday once again, I found myself looking forward to this get-up-on-the-right-side-of-the-bed type of day.
Chirping like a non-feathered songbird, I made my way into each child’s room, emitting the weekday wake-up call. “Wake up, sweet child. It’s the start of a brand new day.” Yes, indeed, the day was beginning in beautiful fashion.
Then something changed.
A “mood” hit. It’s so easy to blame it on a mood, isn’t it? In some essence, that denies personal responsibility. It’s the “mood’s” fault, it’s not mine. I couldn’t help myself because of the….M.O.O.D!
The now-famous mood was focused on one particular child as they pressed those infamous “buttons.” Said child was listless and beginning to, ahem, shall I say, “get on my nerves!”
And the mood spread to anyone in its path. Welcome to Monday.
While still carrying the heaviness of a “mood,” I happened upon a verse from the NLT that warranted focus. It brought an “ah-ha!” moment which reminded me that Jesus had given me permission to drop the mood. Really! Drop the mood. All I needed to do was simply trust (in Him) and “let go!”
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God, and trust also in me.
John 14:1 NLT***
Thank You, Holy Spirit for these kinds of moments. It’s in these moments when Your counsel is so real, these moments when light is spread unto our paths and we suddenly know the way. No longer are we groping for hope in the darkness, instead we are standing firm on its foundation, firm in the light of Your righteousness….all because of You.
So often we can be tossed to and fro by the ravages of a mood, but we can choose not to be propelled from place to place by its vices. At the bottom of that tumultuous, moody ocean lies an anchor for our soul, Jesus. Our unyielding, sturdy, and secure anchor’s links are composed simply of trust.
T.R.U.S.T.
We trust Jesus for salvation. It’s the ultimate trust, and it’s the foundational trust. Without it, there is nothing, eternally speaking, to build upon. With it, heaven’s the limit.
As we are built, into spiritual powerhouse temples for the Lord (my term), the steadfast links of trust keep us anchored in Jesus. Just as trust (in Him) is vital for salvation, continuing to be open to greater proportions of trust is vital for our continued growth. The more we trust Him, the more we grow…and the more glory God Almighty receives. Lives are changed, relationships transformed, and ministries anew as we are transformed by God because we chose to trust.
With how much of our lives are we going to trust the Lord? How much access to our hearts are we going to give Him? What about those moods…will we all search Him in those times? Will we trust him in the heat of those battles?
Trust is a word that the Lord set in front of me multiple times while living in Hawaii. It was simple. It came down to whether I trusted Him or not. Did I trust Him with my future, with His ministry in and through me, with my relationship with my husband, and concerning relationships with our children? Was I going to trust Him with unearthing the unrighteousness in my heart, changing the ugly moods and snappy answers, or the critical spirit I so desperately wanted to be freed of?
The bottom line is that He desires we trust Him, the author and finisher of our faith, the Creator of our being and our world, with life today. He desires we give Him all our heart and press on in the things of Him. He wants to be our anchor, linked by trust, so we’ll not be overturned in the midst of the storm, but we’ll instead weather it well and will be stronger as a result.
I am convinced that I am only now beginning to see the glimmer of trust’s worth, yet its worth already causes my heart to sing. There’s more to come with the Lord for you and me, of this I have faith.
Allow me come with encouragement to you today. Just as the Lord renewed my mind with the washing of His word, allow trust to do that in your life as well. It is VITAL that we make a conscious decision to TRUST….if we want to grow and bring glory to the King of kings. It is a big deal, because without faith (trust) it is impossible to please God. (Heb. 11:6) Because I fear Him, I want to please Him. Because I want to please Him, I need to trust Him. Ponder it, consider it, and be encouraged to treasure trust as you grow today.
Later…
Noon is looming as these words are being typed. I’ve been awake for nearly 6 hours now. The battle with moodiness took nearly half of that time. It gets no more.
Before our time together in this post comes to a close, allow me to list the revelation as it happened today, OK?
1. We can refuse. We can choose. Trust.
We can refuse to be agitated or distressed, aka moody. Jesus has fought and paid the ultimate price to give us this freedom. He has told us in John 14:1 that we don’t have to let our hearts be troubled. Agitation or moodiness certainly reeks of trouble to me. (The Strong’s Concordance eludes to this as well.) The choice is ours whether or not we “let” it have access to our hearts.
Once John 14:1 was set in front of my eyes (from one of my own previous Twitter tweets nonetheless!), a call to fear and trust the Lord rang, and transformation occurred. Realization called for attention, “Hey, this is an opportunity to trust! Right now you’re trying this on your own, and it’s not going so well. Why not transfer it over to the Lord through trust instead?”
Once I chose trust, the bad mood fled. (Remember that part about resisting the devil and watching him flee (James 4:7)? It works!
2. Be transformed.
Transformation has occurred right in front of your very blog eyes. Really. As He renewed my mind this morning with His Word, I have been transformed. (Rom. 12:2) Truly, we are all transformed by the renewing of our minds. He’s trustworthy, following through just as His Word says, indicating the importance of keeping ourselves immersed in His word, hiding it in our hearts, so that we’ll not sin against Him. (PS 119:11)
3. Our battles are not against flesh and blood.
The battles that rage are not against ourselves when we “fall off the wagon” or “can’t seem to get it right.” They are also not against others (Eph. 6:12), or, as was my case, against the said child who was pushing those infamous buttons. Our mood should not be determined by another’s action(s). God has given us control over our reactions and choices. Once we own up to that and realize that the battle is against evil, it’s much easier to see the situation clearly. God has given us the tools to fight our battles. Fight accordingly mighty warrior!
4. Remember your shield!
Fiery darts, fruit of the bad mood, were pelting others and myself. What fights against those fiery darts of darkness (short-tempered answers, yelling in response, grumbling thoughts, etc.?
The shield of faith (Eph. 6:16), that’s what!
Faith is trust. Trust is faith. Grab your shield and keep those vital organs protected.
5. Above all else…
On an additional note of protecting those vital organs, specifically the heart:
Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.
Prov. 4:23 NLT ***
Guard that heart, show vigilance versus complacency. Protect it like a well-oiled battle machine. Make choices that promote Jesus, choices and thoughts that focus on Him, not the mood or problem. Your enemy, the devil, is roaming around, ready for the opportunity to kill, steal, or destroy you, your relationships, your walk with the Lord, and more. (1 Peter 5:8) Above all else….guard your heart against those moods and their effects.
Trade in the mood (the trouble) for trust, my friend. His faithfulness reaches to the skies! (PS 36:5) (And have a great Monday while you’re at it.) 🙂
J'ai fait du Ski Joëring aux Arcs et je vous recommande vivement cet endroit pour essayer cette discipline vraiment fun ! Vous partez pendant 2 h sur des chemins forestiers et isolés de toutes activités de la station. Moment inluilbaboe !