Do you ever have one of those days in which nothing seems to go right?  You run late for work; your hair frizzes up in the humidity; you get stuck in a traffic jam; your boss gives you an enormous yet tedious project to complete with an unrealistic deadline; your child’s school calls for you to pick up your puking child; and you stub your toe on your way out the door.  Never mind the burnt toast you scarfed down for breakfast or that cup of coffee you took the time to brew and pour into a car mug, yet left on the kitchen counter.  How about drinking a blueberry smoothie and forgetting to check your teeth before walking in to morning staff meeting?  (Not that that has ever happened to me, of course!)

This kind of sounds like a day in the life of … well of any of us!  We all have days like this from time to time!  The issue, however, is how we choose to respond to them. 

There are times we can use these irritations as an excuse to be big ol’ grumps and let it sour our attitude for the remainder of the day.  The whole day is now shot!  It becomes painfully obvious that we have slipped into yet another funk!  We feel an undefined sense of blah, or icky, or waah!  We might even ascribe these feelings to PMS and seek comfort in a heaping mound of chocolate bliss.  Of course, the comfort is short lived when the bliss quickly turns into the afternoon slump and sugar crash.  Ugh! When will this day end?!

I have learned some practical tips for overcoming days like this and to get out of that miserable funk. It is all about focus, as Debbie Alsdorf explains beautifully in her book, The Faith Dare.  You see, it isn’t so much about the things that happen to us, but it is our perception, our choice of response, and most importantly, where our hearts and minds are focused that makes all the difference.

When we put God first in our lives day by day and keep our eyes fixed on Him, He will give us the strength and energy we need to not grow weary or to lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3)  We can choose ahead of time where our focus will be, and we can stop that nasty old funk before it has a chance to start.  We can fill our minds daily with God’s goodness so that there is no room for self-focus or self-pity.  We can force ourselves to get up when we feel down by the power of the Holy Spirit.  We can shake off that bad mood and rotten attitude by looking up and putting our focus on God.

Then, when we have another one of those bad days, we can stop the funk before it has a chance to set in.  We can make up our minds right then and there that we are not going to be grouchy or allow the rest of the day to be miserable.  We can stand up strong and say, “No!” to that rotten mood, and make up our minds that we are not going to give in to it! 

As a fruit of the Holy Spirit, we have self-control within us, but we need to exercise it so it can ripen and be ready when we need it.  Then, decide that you are going to control these emotions before they have a chance to control you.  Decide to squash the funk early before it has a chance to grow and overtake you.  You will have much better success the earlier you get a grip on it.  Remember, it is about focus, and you can control and choose your focus.  Keep it on Christ!

As the great philosopher and theologian, Barney Fife would say about it, “Nip it!  Nip it in the bud!”  That is some of the greatest advice for an attitude adjustment I have ever heard!

From ScreneInsults.com, The Andy Griffith Show

Focusing on Christ changes my perspective and my attitude.  I have gotten lost in a funk so many times in my past, and it has been a result of allowing my focus to drift away from Christ and His goodness, and the victory I have in Him.  Instead I had set my gaze toward my problems and what was irritating me, and the result is big time grumpiness! 

The cure is to fix my eyes on Him and to choose to submit my attitude to Him.  I don’t have to be stuck “under,” but He has provided the way for me to live in perpetual peace and joy.  When my emotions get out of control, focusing on the truth of His goodness calms me and sets my perspective back to a peaceful place.  My emotions then become manageable, and I can stand firmly on the fact that I am a victorious and strong woman of God.  I am blessed every day that I live!  I can choose my attitude and walk in the peace, joy, and victory He has provided for me.  I am shaking off the funk by focusing on Him. When I am down, He lifts me up!  He sets my heart and mind aright again.

Start each day with Him and keep my focus on Him to avert the funk ahead of time.

Make the decision ahead of time that I will not be overcome by the funk.  I won’t give in to it, but when it comes, I will look up and get up!

Train my mind and attitude to remain focused on Him and to recognize and avert a bad attitude as it comes.

Manage my emotions rather than allowing them to control me.

Go against my feelings when I get in a funk and get up anyway.

Not take my bad mood out on others, but to be a positive example of how to get out of a bad mood.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” Colossians 3:15

“”When I am a funk, my attitude stinks!”

F – focus problem; feelings prevail

U – under the circumstances, under the conditions, under the weather

N – needy

K – keeping the fire of the funk burning by tending to it, keeping it alive

“We need to learn how to fix our eyes on Jesus. This alone will help significantly with the funk.”

“…When we focus on Christ, consider Him, we will not grow weary or lost heart.  Much funk involves losing heart, weariness, and attention and focus on the wrong thing…the negatives.”

“A funk happens when you lose perspective by losing focus.”

“As Christians this focus problem happens when we take our eyes off Jesus and the faithful God He is and choose to muddle along in our problems, focusing on how bad things are or seem to appear.”

“In this place we do not have our eyes and attention fixed on Jesus.  We have our eyes and attention fixed on self.”

“When the funk threatens to take you down, look up.  When your emotions start churning within, look up.  When life gets you down, look up to the God who picks you up!”

“Take your position as a woman who belongs to God.”

“Stand firm, being solid in who you are and whose you are.”

“He will save you.  Get up and out of that foul emotional place.  God is with you.”

“God knows me completely and loves me totally.  I no longer have to spiral down to the places that are funky and depressing.”