By George Stahnke, July 2016
Have you ever had one of those days when you wished you were
invisible or just stayed in bed? You attempt to go out into the world, but just
can’t shake that blah feeling. Then someone asks, “How are you doing?”
Uncomfortable and wanting to get away as soon as possible, you muster your
strength and with a smile give the acceptable response, “Fine, how about you?”
There have been numerous times in my live when I have been
emotionally downhearted, sometimes, due to my own poor decisions or the
unfortunate choices of others. In those times the
Holy Spirit has always been faithful in drawing me out of
myself into times of prayer and worship. One of my favorite passages is
Philippians 4:4-6. The apostle Paul gives a very clear progressive, four-point remedy
for dealing with those gloomy, anxious episodes in life: 1) Rejoice in the
Lord, 2) be considerate toward others, 3) pray about everything, and 4) be
thankful. And here is the promised result, “And
God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its
salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content
with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all
understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (AMP)
All I can say is that it works! I have experienced that
peace that reaches into the deepest part of the human soul. When I have the
presence of mind to make this adjustment, to look beyond my distress to my
loving savior in these practical ways, in time it makes a difference.
The English novelist William Makepeace Thackeray said,
"Life is a mirror; if you frown at
it, it frowns back; if you smile, it returns the greeting." Simply
put, the decision is ours. We can yield to the doldrums, disappointments and
pain in life, getting stuck in the blahs or we can choose to partner with the
Lord and allow Him to pull us up and out. As we practice this progressive,
four-point remedy we are deliberately choosing to look beyond our current
emotional state, to the secure hope that we have in Christ alone. His peace
will come!
Here are some additional practical guidelines that can be
helpful: 1) listen to your favorite Christian music, 2) be transparent and
honest in prayer. God can handle the truth and your raw emotion, 3) write about
what you are feeling. Be as specific as you can with who, what, where, and
when, 4) avoid isolation. Reach out to a trusted safe friend or minister.