We’ve all been there; we’ve all had bad moods for any number of reasons. Certainly, 2020 has given us our fair share of excuses for bad moods, but moods are influenced by circumstances, and we Christians know that circumstances do not affect our joy and that we are to give thanks in all circumstances. Whatever circumstances we face in life should not define how we live our lives; we have to act against bad moods when they strike. The trouble comes when we find ourselves with a bad mood and we choose to stay in it, instead of taking action against it. Let’s look at some Biblical tips for getting out of a bad mood.

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:3-8)

The first step in getting rid of your bad mood is a heaping spoonful of humility. C.S. Lewis explained humility by saying: “True humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” We can begin our journey toward humility by starting on our knees before the Lord and surrendering our will to Him. When we make ourselves the center of our world we can feel a great deal of dissatisfaction and disappointment, mostly focusing on the negatives of our lives. In an age of social media and selfies, the focus on self has probably never been higher in human history. Your parents’ photo albums were pictures of other people, but in the selfie generation we are going to look back and only have pictures of ourselves with arms outstretched. If you want to get rid of your bad mood, start by taking the focus off of yourself and putting it on God.

“Do everything without complaining and arguing,” (Philippians 2:14)

Another step in banishing a bad mood is to take control of your complaining and arguing. What would be different in your life if you obeyed this verse? You probably know people who you can categorize as complainers. (If you can’t think of anyone, chances are it’s you.) People complain and argue, and social media has given people another outlet through which to do this. You wouldn’t have to look hard to find complaining or arguing in the comments section of any website. Stop and consider how much you complain and/or argue during any given day, whether it’s in person or online. If you find that it’s a lot, take another look at Jesus’ life and this verse from Paul and try to put it into practice: “Do everything without complaining and arguing.”

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8)

Take control of your thoughts! One way bad moods can worm their way into our lives and take root is through our thoughts, and if we aren’t careful, negative thoughts and perspectives can take over our attitudes and we will very quickly find ourselves rooted in a bad mood. Here, Paul gives very clear instructions on what we should be thinking about. Is this how you could describe your thoughts? Chances are, if you ingest a lot of news coverage, not many things from this list are probably on your mind. But if you are ingesting Scripture, if you are filling your mind with God’s truth, it’s much easier to fix your thoughts on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise.

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

Similarly, we find that focusing on this world too much can lead to a bad mood. If all you fill yourself with are social media posts, news, and entertainment from this world, then you will start to crave the things of this world: physical pleasure, everything you see, and pride in your achievements and possessions. These things can dominate your mind and you can find yourself with a bad mood. Be sure you are filling your mind with Scripture more than you are the things of this world.

“‘I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.’” (John 16:33)

“‘Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.’” (John 14:1)

Both of these quotes from Jesus come as He was speaking to His disciples in the upper room on the night He was to be arrested. Jesus said that we will have trouble in this world but He also instructed us to not let our hearts be troubled. It’s so easy for us to focus on the trouble and many trials and sorrows of this world, that we can forget to focus on the fact that Jesus has overcome this world. If you feel like your heart is troubled, if trials and sorrows ring loud in your ears and a bad mood is taking root, then take the focus off of yourself, do everything without complaining and arguing, fill your mind with more of God’s truth than this world’s pleasures, fix your thoughts on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise, and put your trust in God and Jesus. All of this will take practice and repetition but the more you do these things, the more you will see that bad mood fade like the morning mist.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

—Redeemed