Funks, and Getting Out of Them

The last few days I was in a funk.

I was grouchy, irritable, frustrated, feeling overwhelmed by all the stuff I didn’t want to do. News events about politics and economics made my blood boil. Bureaucratic crap at work was nigh intolerable. Lots of “reckem seckem blechem” talk in my head. When I had to be polite and interact with people I would (like leading a Concert of Prayer at church), but especially at home I simply pulled away from people. Ate three cream puffs in 12 hours. Went into the basements to watch sections of The Dark Knight as escapist medication. Not happy. Headaches. I would go to bed early, but didn’t sleep well. Temptations abound. It’s a good thing I don’t drink alcohol.

Do I have reasons to be in funk? Somewhere, intellectually, I knew that I have every reason for gratitude. But I justified and rationalized my 'tude for hour after hour, for three days.

Yesterday morning early I thought, “I know – this is like when bad moods came over King Saul, and he wanted music so he’d feel better. Yeah, that’s it, I’m like King Saul. This funk isn’t my fault at all.”

Did I mention that my capacity for self-deception appears to be boundless?

That happy thought (“Yup, me and King Saul”) lasted about an hour, and then I decided I would go look at those passages in 1 Samuel again.

Mr. Balloon, meeting Mr. Pin. Pop.

The text says repeatedly, “An evil spirit from God tormented him.” Hmmm… Whatever I have going on it’s not an evil spirit from God.

What’s the solution to a funk?

Repentance!

I’ve had to re-learn the lesson that the way out of funks and moods and ‘tudes is to repent and seek forgiveness, rather than rationalize and justify and misapply Scripture. I suspect I’ll fall into a funk again in the future. Hopefully I’ll get to repentance a lot faster next time.