Defeating the Blahs!
http://youtu.be/gMn28AK99To - Move - MercyMe
Do you ever get the blahs? I think all of us do from time to time. I'm not talking about those serious bouts of depression that last several days or weeks. That type of Depression may require medical intervention. I'm talking about those days when you just don't feel like doing anything at all, and you might not even know why.
On those days, my mind needs to be renewed.
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.
Not very often, but too often for me, I get the blahs. They always come unexpected and unwelcomed. I'm a pretty up-beat, happy person. But when I get the blahs, I feel like the life has just been sucked out of me. I don't care about anything. I don't want to do anything. Nothing seems to make it any better. It's not a good place to be, and I'm very thankful that it doesn't happen very often. or last very long.
I know people who are moody. They let the cares of the world just put them into a funk. They get into a bad mood and seem perfectly fine with making everyone else feel just as miserable as they feel. I hate that! I don't understand why they don't just "snap out of it!" Right? Why don't they just decide to be happy? But then I have one of my "blah" days, and I realize it's not that easy to just "snap out of it". It takes more strength than what I have. I need help.
Why do we get the blahs?
There are several reasons we get the "blahs". Life can be overwhelming at times. All of us have so many things we need to take care of. Some days I feel like a really bad juggler. I try so hard to keep all the balls in the air, but then I drop one, and then another,,, and suddenly, all the balls are on the floor, rolling around everywhere. I begin to feel out of control and hopeless.
Fortunately for me, those days don't happen very often, but when they do happen, I have no energy, no motivation, no desire to get up and do anything, and when I do move, it feels like I'm trying to walk in two feet of mud with boots on. The worst part is I just don't care about anything. That is not what God wants for me.
Long bouts of illness, our own or someone we love, can cause us to feel that sense of dullness, and boredom. We become lethargic and even a tiny move seems to take every ounce of energy we have. Medications can cause depression, too. It's hard to get well physically when our bodies are fighting depression.
Difficult Relationships can also create a feeling of defeat. Maybe you have a co-worker or employer, a classmate at school, a family member, a neighbor, or maybe even a fellow church member who just seems intent on making your life miserable. You'd like to just remove that person from your life, but circumstances force you to interact with him or her. If you have to deal with that person very often, you may find yourself in that "I don't care" mode. Maybe that's the only way you can get through the day.
Lack of Sunshine - Many people suffer from the blahs during the winter months. The lack sunshine can affect our sense of well being. We just want to crawl back into bed and sleep rather than face the day. There are physiological reasons for winter blues - lack of vitamin D and exercise (we don't get outside and move around as much during the winter months) can be a big contributor to our outlook and attitudes.
Unconfessed Sin - I think, too, the blahs can come when we have unresolved sin in our lives. Maybe it's unforgiveness or bitterness towards someone; or maybe we're doing something that God doesn't want us to do. For me, when I fail to do something I know God wants me to do, I begin to feel a distance from Him. It's not God creating that distance, but me. I know what I should be doing, and when I'm not doing what I know to do, I feel guilty. If I'm not careful, I'll begin to believe the lies that the Enemy is whispering in my ear. I'll start believing that I'm unworthy to spend time with God. After all, how dare I come into His presence when I'm willfully being disobedient to what He has for me to do! But that is not from God! During those times, Satan tells me to pull away from God, but God tells to draw near to Him, and He'll renew my spirit.
What can we do to "snap out of it" on our "blah" days?
Slow down - Rest - If I'm sick, tired or overwhelmed, maybe I do need to craw back in bed and just rest. Maybe God's telling me to slow down, to stop stressing and just rest in His Arms. When I choose this cure, I try to imagine that God is holding me as I sleep; that I am resting in His love and protection. If I can't sleep, I focus on all the blessings He provides. It's hard to feel bad when I think about all the good things HE has done for me. Sometimes, I listen to my Bible CD. Hearing God's Word spoken over me can be soothing, too.
Listen to uplifting music - Usually, uplifting music can get me moving in the right direction. Mercy Me's "Move" is a great song that lifts my spirits every time I hear it. The song speaks God's promises to me; it encourages me and reminds me that brighter days are coming.
Exercise - Get moving. The link I included above is a YouTube video of a young lady using the song MOVE with a Zumba routine. If you're feeling lethargic and have no energy, I highly recommend that you watch this video and try to exercise along with the instructor. I generally end up laughing my way through the song because I haven't quite mastered "Zumba" yet. And NO!!! I will not be including a video of my Zumba experience. = ) But still when I get up and move - whether it's doing an exercise video, running, walking, whatever it might be that helps to get me up off the couch, I feel more energetic and more optimistic. It doesn't work every time, but it's one of my favorite options when I'm struggling to feel happy again.
Prayer and Time with GOD - This is always my first option. When I start feeling a little down, I pray and ask God to renew my spirit. I know He has promised that He will do that for me.
I can sit in my backyard or go to the park and just sit still and watch all of nature. I see God's provision and His creativity, His attention to the smallest detail. Even with tiny little insects, He has shown us His love and care. I am always comforted by just sitting still with God. When I do that, He renews my spirit - my thoughts and attitudes begin to change. But note the verse below. Paul tells us that we should let the Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes. We have the Holy Spirit living in us, and we have full access to His power and strength, but we can stifle that power if we don't allow Him to work in our lives. We must be willing to give Him control if we want to be fully renewed.
Quiet time with God is when I need to ask for forgiveness for any sins in my life, specifically, those I know about, and any sins I may not even be aware of. I need to ask God to purify my heart, to make me more like what He wants me to be. I want Him to change me, to mold me and make me to be more like Jesus. More of Jesus - less of me. That's my prayer.
I also ask God to give me wisdom to make good decisions and to prioritize according to His plan for me. When I'm feeling down or discouraged, usually that means I'm thinking way to much of myself instead of others. When I seek to comfort others more than to be comforted myself, God does this amazing thing: He comforts me Himself!
Ephesians 4:22-24 - .throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
Depression, discouragement, feelings of being overwhelmed, boredom, feeling like nothing matters - all those things are from our sinful nature. Paul is saying "remember who you are. You have a new nature. You are not slaves to the old nature anymore." Those negative thoughts are not from God. We must stand firm against the Enemy because he will grab any tiny little foothold he can to bring us down. He wants us to dwell on the negative thoughts and emotions; he wants us to wallow in our despair. How do we win this battle? By taking every thought captive to see if it lines up with what Christ says is true. If the thought is not from Christ, we must not let it stay in our heads. We give it to Christ and let Him take it away.
2 Corinthians 5:10 - We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
When we refuse to let those thoughts which are not from God stay in our heads, we must also be proactive in filling our minds with positive messages from God. When a negative thought or attitude creeps into my brain, I ask God to take away, and then I intentionally replace that negative thought with things that are of God. I start listing my blessings or singing a song of praise or maybe I'll read one of David's psalms. I fill my head with God's word. If I don't replace the negative with something positive, the negative thought will come back stronger and bring some of his buddies. = (
Luke 11:24-26 - “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ 25 So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. 26 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
I have to remember that God has a plan for me, and it's a plan for good and not evil, a plan to give me a hope and a future. I can trust Him to provide everything I need to rise above the negative thoughts and attitudes that threaten to bring me down. I can rejoice even when I'm feeling weak because when I feel weak, that's when I turn to God. His power can work best in me when I rely on His strength .I cannot do this life on my own. I need my Savior.
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 - Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Father God, You are my safe place. When this world tries to drag me down, You are the One I run to. I feel Your Protection and Your Provision every single day. I praise You, LORD, Creator of heaven and earth! I'm in awe of Your majesty, Your power and might, but most of all I am blown away by Your great love and mercy towards me. Thank You for redeeming me through Your precious Son. Thank You for forgiving me and making me whole by the power of His blood. Holy God, use me however You see fit to bring glory to Your Name. Help me to turn to You when I feel discouraged. Help me to quickly recognize the lies that Satan would have me believe. I am Your child and I am worthy, not from anything I've done, but all because of Jesus. I love You, LORD, with all my heart.
http://youtu.be/N0HozFRRp9Y - Back to You - Mercy Me
As I was research this topic, I came across this wonderful website: www.JeffRandleman.com . Jeff is youth minister for Mountainview Christian Church in Missouri. He listed 16 proactive tips on how to beat the blahs.
To read the full article, please go to http://www.jeffrandleman.com/16-things-you-can-do-to-beat-the-blahs .
So I’ve put together a list of things that I’ve found helpful in beating the blahs.
Run away from your moods. When you recognize that you are in a funk, intentionally run away from it. Make it a point to eliminate this attitude from your day.
Celebrate the good. My summer has been so hectic and traumatic. One way to get past that is to celebrate the great things that have happened. Positive thinking can have a huge impact on both your attitude and energy.
Boost your energy. Exercise. Run. Bike. Walk. Hike. Whatever. Exercise can help. My personal favorite is geocaching. It gets me out and moving. I find it relaxing, and yet mentally challenging as well.
Treat yourself to a snack. Make it a comfort food. Or choose a healthier option. Either one is ok. The point here is not to gorge yourself, but to eat something you enjoy in order to help change your attitude.
Read a good book. Grab a great story, or something inspiring. Or sit down with your Bible for a while. Just a suggestion… don’t read Lamentations at a time like this.
Appreciate something beautiful. Step outside and look around. Look at the sunset, the clouds, the leaves on the trees, the butterfly that just floated past. Enjoy the beauty of your surroundings.
Release your emotions. It’s ok to cry if you need to.
Talk to a friend. Grab a trusted friend and go to lunch. Let them know how you are feeling. They may have some great suggestions. And if not, at least you know someone is there to lean on. That in itself can be a huge help.
Do something for someone else. One of the best ways to change a bad attitude into a better one is to look beyond yourself and help someone else. Trust me; this works.
Spruce yourself up. Dress sharper. If you look good, you’ll soon start to feel good.
Journal it. Write down how you are feeling, and be detailed. It may be helpful to step back and look at the big picture. Plus, later, you can see how God stepped in and changed things.
Listen to some inspiring music. Music has the power to lift you up. Turn on something positive and encouraging. My personal choice is Howard Shore’s film score to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Do something different. Step out of your normal routine. Do something you don’t normally do. Changing things up a bit can be helpful.
Laugh. Nothing can lift your spirits like a good laugh. Go find someone who can make you laugh. Watch a funny TV show. Read a few great jokes. Spend time with your kids, watching them. My kids are a constant source of smiles and laughter for me.
Rest. Sometimes the best thing you can do is rest and relax for a while.
Look for balance in your life. Try to eliminate things that elicit the negative; focus on the things that bring more positive thoughts and attitudes.
The blahs are normal. Everyone experiences them. In fact, they may even be somewhat beneficial. They can be an indicator that you need to slow down or stop. They can indicate that it’s time for a break from the steady routine of life.
But the blahs can be beat. This list is just the beginning. I know there are many, many more things that can help overcome the blahs. These are just some of the things that I’ve found to work in my life. Give them a shot. Maybe they can help you as well.
What do you do to beat the blahs?
from http://www.jeffrandleman.com/16-things-you-can-do-to-beat-the-blahs .
Thanks, Jeff, for letting me share these great ideas!
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