Hungry for God: bad attitudes

Facetime: God, sometimes I'm not very pleasant to be around. How can I change my mood?

Ever heard the saying, Sometimes I wake up grumpy, and sometimes I let him sleep?

Sometimes I’m the one who wakes up grumpy.

Perhaps I didn’t get enough sleep the night before, or a child awakened me several times. Maybe the eggplant parmagiano I ate for supper did summersaults in my stomach, disturbing my rest and souring my disposition. Or I might be dwelling on a hurt or offense from the day before, allowing it to fester in my subconscious all night. Maybe there’s no good reason for why I wake up out of sorts and cranky.

What’s a woman to do when she wakes up grumpy? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Choose to be “swift to hear and slow to speak” (James 1:19). When I’m grouchy, I tend to give my mouth cart blanche to say whatever comes to mind. Usually it's complaining or critical. It’s also typically directed at those closest to me. As soon as I recognize the stirrings of grumpiness, I ask the Lord to “set a watch about my mouth” (Psalm 141:3).

2. Put on praise music.
Although praise music seldom changes my circumstances, it helps direct my thoughts to God and his goodness. Once I get my eyes off myself and focused on God, my mood often does a 180. It’s hard to be grumpy when I’m singing about God’s love for me.

3. Take every thought captive.
Second Corinthians 10:5 encourages us to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” When I capture my thoughts and compare them to the truth of God’s Word, I often find they are false, deceptive, or destructive.

Evaluating them in light of God’s Word helps me discard them and exchange their damaging power for God’s promises. If my thoughts tell me There’s no use praying about that situation; it’s hopeless, taking this thought captive and comparing it to the truth of scripture tells me, “Nothing is too hard for God” (Jeremiah 32:17). I correct my wrong thinking and fill myself with hope instead of despair.

4. Adopt an attitude of gratitude.
On particularly bad days, or when circumstances seem overwhelming, I may feel that my thankful list is very short. Sometimes I’m so discouraged it seems there’s nothing good happening in my life. It’s during these times that my thankful list begins with intangibles. Lord, thank you for my salvation. Thank you for the Comforter, your Holy Spirit, who lives inside me. Thank you that Romans 8:28 is not a typo, but that you will work all things out for good in my life. . ."

When I intentionally thank God for the good gifts in my life, it’s almost impossible to maintain my sour disposition. Often I speak my thanksgiving aloud. Hearing the long list of good gifts God has given me is often just what I need to restore my joy.

5. Remember that this world is not all there is.
Some days the world is so yucky that it’s hard to see past it. The apostle Paul, imprisoned, lonely, and spent for the gospel, penned these words: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Our time on earth is a vapor compared to the future that awaits us in eternity.

photo credit

When you wake up grumpy, what do you do to turn things around? I’d love for you to leave a comment below and join the conversation. If you’re reading by email, click here to leave a comment.

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This devotion is an excerpt from Lori’s new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women.

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