Daily Devotional for Small Group Discussion: Mood Swing

Questions for Discussion: 

1. Does worship have any impact on your disposition and motivation? How so? 

2. Do you see any spiritual difference between online worship and in-person worship? Discuss those differences, if any. 

3. How are the declining trends of worship attendance in America impacting your church? What do you think are the causes for this trend? 

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my trust in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! – Psalm 42:11 (NLT) 

Clinical depression is a serious disorder that can indicate chemical imbalances in the brain. If left untreated, clinical depression can increase the chance of risky behaviors such as drug or alcohol addiction, as well as thoughts of suicide. 

I’ve never been diagnosed with clinical depression, but like many others, I do experience emotional moods of depression from time to time.  

The constant struggle to balance career goals with family and personal life. The daily challenge to remain positive while trying to work with inimical personalities. The ongoing effort to make progress through the matrix of systems and settings designed to keep us in stagnated places. 

These recurring aggravations, and more, sometimes overshadow my disposition and leave me feeling despondent, frustrated, and utterly futile. 

And these moods of depression have no regard for the Sabbath, so many times I find myself headed to church with my attitude in a “funk.” 

But there’s something about worship that places all my worries in perspective.  

In the company of believers who come together to express their undaunting faith in the God of Light, there isn’t much room for me to wallow in gloom.  

The hope highlighted in worship cannot be contained or controlled by any array of hostile circumstances in my life.  

When I join the chorus of those who have struggled through astounding adversities, but come through by the consistency of their faith, my moods of desperation give way to impulses of inspiration. 

Worship may be inconsequential for some, but for me it always tips the scale in favor of a renewed motivation and a much better mood. 

Prayer
Come Ye Disconsolate… Where ‘er ye languish. Come to the Mercy Seat… Fervently kneel. Here bring your wounded heart… Here tell your anguish. Earth has no sorrow… that Heaven cannot heal.