Have you had a really bad day recently? A day where nothing seemed to go how you planned or would like? Unfortunately, those days come for us all. What matters is how we respond when they do.
I’ve noticed three unhelpful ways I can tend to respond. Maybe you’ve experienced the same.
First, I can complain about it. Something about complaining feels good, though I’m not sure what it is. Maybe there is a kind of self-justifying that happens when we claim victim status. It could be that we just like fishing for sympathy. Whatever it is, no one else likes hearing me complain. So this is unhelpful.
Second, I worry about it. If my sense of peace is reliant on nothing going wrong around me, then I have no peace when problems arise. The check engine light going on can ruin my day. I begin to fear that my fragile peace is ruined by even small problems arising.
Third, I can get bitter and jealous. Have you noticed that when we lack some good thing, we are more keenly aware of those who have it? If you want a better job, financial security, a spouse, children, beauty, health, success, and you see others who have it, it’s easy to get jealous.
None of these are right or helpful ways to respond to bad days or hard seasons. We all want to be happy and peaceful, but if you can’t be happy unless you get everything you want and everything goes your way, then you’re going to be disappointed. But there is good news during tough times.
The Bible says we can be content even on bad days. The Apostle Paul says,
“…I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” | Philippians 4:11-13
The secret to contentment is not building a life where nothing can possibly go wrong. That is impossible. Rather, it is treasuring God above all, and trusting him to carry you through every trial.
A few years ago I came up with a saying when teaching this idea to children. It might be helpful to you as well:
No matter what’s going on outside,
I can have peace inside,
when God is on my side.
Maybe a little cheesy, but it gets the point across. Let’s look at this a little more in depth.
No matter what’s going on outside…
It’s hard to be happy when we expect everything to go our way; something always seems to go wrong. Understand that life is going to be hard sometimes. You don’t always get what you want. And even if you did, you probably still wouldn’t be happy. Most of life is outside your control. You can’t control other people; you can only control you. So wishing and waiting for everything to be perfect around us is bound to disappoint us.
But we can have peace inside. The Apostle Paul suffered greatly for Christ. He saw good times and bad times, but was able to sing and worship and have contentment, even when in prison.
The Old Testament also tells us of Job, who had everything that would make for external blessing in his day: wife, children, animals (wealth), servants, reputation.
Yet for reasons he had nothing to do with, he lost everything: Kids died, animals stolen, reputation ruined, sores all over his body. He eventually did give in to complaining after arguing with his friends over the cause of his suffering, but note his initial response:
“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” | Job 1:20-22
These men didn’t have peace on the outside, but they had joy and peace on the inside because God was on their side. They were content because even though they lost everything, they had God.
That is the key. No matter what happens around us, we can have peace and contentment when the Lord is our God. Despite our circumstances or trials, he is gracious and favorable towards us.
Believe that God is in charge and he loves you. This is God’s world, nothing happens without his say so. Even the devil had to ask permission to hurt Job. Understand that God will allow some hard days to come your way, but that doesn’t mean God has failed to love you. He didn’t withhold even the life of his Son for us, so why would he hold back his lesser mercies in times of need?
James tells us to consider it pure joy when you face trials, bad days, and frustrations of various kinds (Jas. 1:2-4). God uses all these to shape you. Trust him. Know that he is with you and he loves you.
The right response, therefore, through hard days and seasons, is not to whine about it, worry about it, or want what others have… but to worship. I’ll leave you with Psalm 34:1, which reminds us that it isn’t only in the good times that we praise the Lord, but at all times.
I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
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