Embrace Your Changing Moods
It's not just our bodies that change - we also need to learn to embrace our changing moods.
God doesn't expect you to always be in the same mood. Changing moods are a part of the human experience, and some people have this idea that the holy Christian is one who is always in a good mood, always up! This is a mistake. If you're going to deal with change, you have to deal with your own changing tempers, rhythms, and feelings.
I struggle with this, to be honest. I sometimes expect myself to be constant in my moods and affections, and when I am inconsistent, I get really upset with myself. I'm learning, however, to deal with it - and to be more patient with myself.
Holiness Doesn't Make You Superhuman
H.A. Baldwin was a great old Nazarene preacher, who wrote a book called Holiness and the Human Element back in the 1920s. He speaks about the confusion among many holiness people about what happens when God sanctifies you. Some people think it makes you some kind of super-human, but he says this is not the case at all. You can be holy, free from sin, but still struggle with ups and downs in your moods and emotions.
He writes this: "Our vacillating feelings are a poor gauge with which to measure our grace. They run all the way from the melancholy to the hilarious without the slightest movement of the will, and at times they refuse to be controlled. We weep broken-heartedly over the grave of our loved ones, and laugh joyously over the successes of our friends. The whole earth turns blue when our nerves are depressed, and yellow when our liver or stomach is disordered, and it sparkles with sunshine and throbs with delight when our blood courses naturally and our nerves lose their strain. In which case have we the most grace, I do not know, but one thing is sure: he who keeps the victory in his soul in the midst of depressing circumstances and torturing pain is a conqueror, whether critical men write his name high or low."
In other words, you're only human. Your feelings and emotions are going to go up and down. That's fine.
Don't Expect a Rock Where God Is Calling You to Trust Him
Don't expect a superhuman consistency from others, either. I've often heard people refer to their spouse as their rock. I think - that's a high standard for your poor spouse! If you're looking for a rock, don't look to your spouse! Because your spouse, committed as they may be to you, has weaknesses and fragility. Your spouse ages. Your spouse will have good days and bad days.
Your spouse is no rock. Neither are you.
Embrace your changing self, your ups and downs. Fix your eyes on Jesus through your moods and feelings. It'll make for a much more peaceful life if you embrace it, rather than fighting it.
Changing moods and emotions are a normal part of being human, and holiness doesn't make you immune to them. Fix your eyes on Jesus through your ups and downs, and be patient with yourself and others.