Wayne Weekly “Rainy Day and Mondays”

You may be old enough to remember the hit song by the Carpenters, Rainy Days and Mondays. It was a melancholy song about how Mondays and rainy days affected the writer, and from a general perspective, how those two things can bring someone “down”.

I am gathering that Mondays are a down because the week-end is over and the work week is beginning. I am sure that rainy days can put a “damper” on activities, and dark skies don’t contribute to a sense of feeling positive. All of us, Christian or not, are affected by our surroundings. It’s the way our psyche responds to things. It’s not necessarily because we are not “spiritual” at the moment.

Jesus spoke much about emotional responses. Recall the woman who lost the coin, searched for it and found it and then held a celebration. And then the classic example of the prodigal son. We see a variety of emotions and attitudes; rebellion, adventurous spirit, selfishness, regret, joy…there all in the story.

We read about those affected with depression. Jeremiah is a classic. How about Elijah. In 1 Kings 18 we see Elijah as strong and courageous, in 1 Kings 19 we are shown a fearful, depressed man. Our circumstances can have a bearing on our disposition. And what about the fruit of the Spirit? Joy and peace, a state of being, is realized through our emotional make-up.

Because we sometimes feel a bit blah, doesn’t mean we’re a failing Christian. Yes, we need to examine ourselves to see why we’re feeling the way we are. If sin is the problem, Godly sorrow with repentance is in order. If we lack sleep, the cure is obvious. If we eat crummy food, no brainer.

God created us with emotions. Now we need to be “in charge” of them, they shouldn’t rule over us. But nevertheless we are subject to situations and things around us, and to the extent that they don’t damage us or others, that’s OK. It’s human. I am guessing that our emotions have been tainted as a result of the fall. That will someday be corrected. We will always have emotions, but perfect emotions.

So let’s “gird up our loins”…and get on with life.

Be balanced.

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Ecclesiastes 3:4