“I’m just not in the mood”

“I’m just not in the mood.” In my daily pursuit of Christ, I can’t help but acknowledge that few phrases have hindered my progress more.

A brief moment of reflection reminds me of the absurdity of basing spirituality on feelings. Imagine a farmer who, when it’s time to plow, decides not to because he “is not in the mood.” Or a pianist who skips practice because he’s not in the mood. Even a married couple might find their anniversary lacking romance if they let “I’m just not in the mood.” dictate their marriage.

Yet, how often have I evaded the disciplines of grace with an unspoken “I’m just not in the mood.” and then expected to miraculously grow in faith and love, experiencing the spontaneous joy of the Spirit?

Numerous excuses stand ready to endorse this lazy attitude. “I don’t want to be a hypocrite.” “I have so much else to do today.” “I’ll get more from Scripture when I feel like reading it.” Perhaps the most common excuse is, “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

In the meantime, today’s spiritual potential — today’s comfort, joy, power, and life — vanishes like a wisp of smoke.

Reclaiming Routine

For some, the word “routine” carries the connotation of staleness and monotony, like dry bread or withered plants, reminiscent of library books left untouched and dusty attics. The idea of routine spirituality — planned, scheduled, disciplined — may seem to contradict the ministry of the life-giving, freedom-bestowing Spirit. We might think, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17), and we may assume that routine quenches that freedom.

However, this dichotomy is a product of our own perception. If routine appears stale to us, the issue lies in our perception, not in routine itself. Indeed, routine can become stale and lifeless, just as a flower can wither if trampled underfoot or a clear sky can be obscured by smog. Yet, routine, in essence, remains beneficial, serving as a friend of freedom and joy.

Many examples testify to the value of routine: Daniel, who prayed “three times a day” regardless of the presence of lions (Daniel 6:10); Peter and John, who visited the temple “at the hour of prayer” even after Pentecost (Acts 3:1); and our Lord Jesus Himself, who, after fasting for forty days, spontaneously defeated the devil’s lies because of His routine memorization of Deuteronomy (Matthew 4:1–10).

Routines etch deep channels within the soul

Anyone who reads Psalm 119 wouldn’t describe its author as dry or subdued. His psalm exudes life and vibrancy, with each verse filled with exuberance and passion. While he isn’t always joyful, he feels deeply and authentically. The entire psalm pulsates with vitality.

He exclaims, “Blessed are you, O Lord!” (verse 12). His soul, like his song, longs ardently for God’s rules at all times (verse 20). He’s often awake during both midnight and early morning (verses 62, 147), too excited to sleep because “your testimonies are my delight” (verse 24). His emotions, whether love or hate, burn too brightly to be concealed (verses 104, 119).

In God’s presence, daily routines etch deep channels within the soul, guiding the flow of spontaneous love like well-worn riverbeds.

We may mistakenly believe that such spontaneous affection is beyond our grasp, reserved for those with an exceptionally spiritual disposition. Yet, if we pay careful attention to the psalm, we’ll discover something that rivals the intensity of his emotions: the steadfastness of his daily routines. The outpouring of Scripture from the psalmist’s heart occurred because he had diligently and consistently “stored” it there (verse 11). The motto of his life was “I set your rules before me,” a commitment he upheld day after day (verse 30). With a dedication that might challenge us, he proclaims, “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules” (verse 164).

Disciplined memorization, daily meditation, planned prayer, and intentional praise — when embraced within God’s guidance, these routines carve deep channels in the soul, allowing the streams of spontaneous love to flow abundantly. They act like windmills in the heart, ready to catch the gentle breezes of the Spirit. While routines themselves cannot impart life, they eagerly invite it, much like a field that has been carefully plowed, seeded, and awaits the life-giving rain.

While we have been given new hearts in Christ, we don’t always wake up ready to live anew. Our old selves cling to us; the allure of worldly distractions beckons early; the devil lurks, ready to tempt us. Without some form of morning routine centered on God, our day is likely to be marked not by spontaneous praise but by spontaneous pride, not by spontaneous gratitude but by spontaneous grumbling. Therefore, those who seek wisdom desire the first voice they hear in the morning to be God’s, and their first words spoken to be in prayer.

It’s important to acknowledge that our morning devotions won’t always stir deep emotions within us. However, when practiced with prayerful sincerity, consistency, and eager expectation, our devotions set the tone for the day ahead. They prepare us to face the day with a tuned heart, ready to play a song of praise.

Midday Retreats

As valuable as morning devotions are, our souls often require more to maintain a vibrant, spontaneous communion with God throughout the day. As hours pass, our spiritual strings may lose their tune, our hearts may grow weary, and our faith may waver. Therefore, God provides us with another pattern to follow:

“These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6–9).

Recognizing our human weakness and tendency to forget, God encourages us to live out His Word not only in our morning devotions but throughout our daily routines. We need His promises to encircle our wrists like watches, to rest upon our noses like eyeglasses. We need a world adorned with the words of God.

This directive for signs, frontlets, and doorposts invites our creativity. It encourages us to sanctify our surroundings by inscribing God’s words on mirrors, walls, car dashboards, and desks. Some may choose to replace their phone’s screen saver with a verse from their morning reading, while others may jot down a Bible passage and carry it in their pocket. I recall a college friend who, taking Deuteronomy 6:8 literally, often sketched the armor of God on his hands as a vivid reminder of the spiritual warfare we face each day.

These words also prompt us to sanctify our time. Many of us would benefit from retreating once or twice a day, even for a few minutes, to a quiet place where we can revisit God’s words and cast our accumulated burdens upon Him. Additionally, we may find it helpful to briefly pause before meetings or new tasks to center our souls in Christ.

Lastly, these words invite us to sanctify our conversations. God instructs us to “talk of them,” and not just occasionally in specific places, but frequently and everywhere. God intends for His words to permeate our everyday conversations, be they casual chats, reflections on our day, or bedtime discussions. These conversations may begin simply with a question like, “What did you read today?” posed to a spouse, roommate, or friend.

Midday retreats offer a brief respite in the midst of our daily chaos, an oasis amid the wilderness of tasks and temptations, a miniature Sabbath during the hustle of the afternoon, restoring our hearts to the morning’s melody.

Revived and Rejoicing

The next time we’re tempted to let “I’m just not in the mood.” disrupt a beneficial routine, let us confront our feelings with the words of David:

The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul; . . .
the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart. (Psalm 19:7–8)

God’s Word has the power to revive the soul and fill the heart with joy. This implies that there will be times when we approach God’s Word with souls that seem dormant and hearts that lack enthusiasm. We might sit before an open Bible with little desire to read or pray, perhaps preferring anything else at that moment. Yet, right there, amid the challenge of maintaining a consistent routine, God can infuse our flagging emotions with His life-giving Word.

When we allow the “I’m just not in the mood” mentality to deter us from our routine, it’s akin to a person avoiding medicine because they don’t feel healthy, shunning fire because they don’t feel warm, or abstaining from food because they don’t feel full. However, when we engage in our routines nonetheless, with prayerfulness and expectancy, we may discover ourselves walking away revived and rejoicing. Our souls become alive with spontaneous praise, and the “I’m just not in the mood.” sentiment becomes a distant memory.