day 474: Mood Swings

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that everyone of us at some point or another has had a mood swing. A mood swing is when we are in a great mood at one minute and then a terrible mood at another, or the other way around. These mood swings can be caused by any number of triggers and I would also venture to say that work and our jobs can be a major contributor to these. Many times companies and organizations also go through "corporate" mood swings. A great piece of news or success and the entire organization can be walking six inches off the floor. A bad report, a failure, competitive news, etc. can also swing the mood of a company to the opposite extreme and spiral down lots and lots of people. These past few years have seemed like one bad piece of news after another and the general mood of the country has been dampened. The significant financial hit that almost all of have taken has contributed to a sour mood overall. But, did you know that we are to not let our mood swings get in the way of the work we are called to do? Of course we know that, but it never hurts to be reminded. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 7:30; "Happiness or sadness or wealth should not keep anyone from doing God's work." Paul tells us this because mood swings are not just felt by us, they are evident, felt and seen by others. We all learn how to read other people and we know when to approach them, or not, based on the mood they are in on any given day. Paul is telling us that we can't let our mood swings get to us so that it lessens our effectiveness with other people who are watching and trying to understand what it is inside of us that gives us the peace and calm. Today, give yourself a good check-up and consider whether or not you are letting your mood swings control you or you are controlling them. Since God wants to come to work with you, bring Him along today and ask Him to temper the mood swings and bring you the even-keel that you need.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 7:30 (New Living Testament)