What To Do When You Are Having A Bad Day - Christian Hope ...

Message for THE LORD’S DAY EVENING, October 14, 2012
Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina
by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister
What To Do When You’re Having A Bad Day
Galatians 6:9,10 (NKJV)
Please turn with me to Galatians the sixth chapter, and let’s read
verses 9,10.
P R A Y E R
Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if
we do not lose heart.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those
who are of the household of faith.
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I N T R O D U C T I O N
We all have them from time to time. I’m talking about “bad days.”
You know the kind of “bad days” I’m talking about……….
I’m talking about those……..
ALARM didn’t go off………STUBBED your toe getting
out of bed…….out of COFFEE…….can’t find your KEYS
………DEAD BATTERY………ARRIVE LATE TO WORK
kind of days.
I’m talking about those……
DARK CLOUD…….DOWN IN THE DUMPS…..
EVERYTHING GOES WRONG, NOTHING GOES RIGHT
kind of days.
Ah, you do know the kind of days I’m talking about don’t you!

Do you wonder if BILLY GRAHAM ever had a flat tire along the
highway? Or if DAVID JEREMIAH ever spilled coffee on his tie?
Do you wonder if CHUCK SWINDOLL ever split out the back of
his britches or if MAX LUCADO ever smashed his thumb with a
hammer?
Do you wonder if BILL GAITHER ever closed the piano lid on his
fingers or if MICHAEL W. SMITH ever forgot the words to one of
his own songs on stage?
All of God’s children have “bad days” from time to time!
I have bad days! You have bad days! We all have bad
days!
BAD DAYS ARE A TEST!
* BAD DAYS test our FAITH!
FAITH!
*BAD DAYS test our PATIENCE!
PATIENCE!
*BAD DAYS test our TRUST IN GOD!
*BAD DAYS test our RESOLVE!
RESOLVE!
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As I was preparing this message I thought about some people in
the Bible who experienced some really “bad days.”
(A) In NUMBERS 20 we read about a really bad day Moses
experienced.
After crossing the Red Sea the Israelites started complaining
about one thing after another.
-When they came to a place called Marah, they found
the water too bitter to drink; so they grumbled
against Moses. God instructed Moses to take
a certain tree and throw it into the water, and
God miraculously made the water sweet so the
people could drink.
-After that the people started complaining to Moses
to provide them with some food. So God miraculously
provided them with some manna.
-After awhile they got tired of eating manna every day,
so they started complaining to Moses that they
wanted some meat to go with their manna. So God
miraculously provided them with some quail.
When Moses led the Israelites to a place called Kadesh,
they couldn’t find any water to drink. And just as they
had before, they started unloading on Moses. Well one
day Moses got “fed up” with all the complaining. As
we would say today, “Moses lost it!”
He yelled at the Israelites, “Hear now you rebels! Must we
bring water for you out of this rock?”
Then Moses lifted the rod above his head and struck the
rock in anger two times.
Moses had a “really BAD DAY” that day. One that would
cost him dearly. Because he had dishonored God in
front of the Israelite people, God prohibited Moses from
entering the Promised Land.

(B) Of course one of the most well-known “bad days”
in the Bible is the one experienced by JOB.
Job chapter one tells us that in one 24 hour period:
-Job’s oxen and donkeys were stolen and
the servants who were taking care of his
animals were killed by the Sabaens.
-Then he got word that lightning had killed
all of his sheep and the servants who were
tending to Job’s sheep were also killed.
-Then Job got word that the CHALDEANS
had stolen all of his camels and killed his
servants who were tending to those camels.
-And just when it seemed Job’s day couldn’t
possibly get any worse, he received word that
all ten of his sons and daughters had been killed
by a tornado when they house they were in
collapsed on them.
Now I’ve had some bad days in my lifetime, and so
have you, but can any of us say we have ever had
a bad day as the one JOB experienced that day?
(C)
Even CHRIST HIMSELF was not immune to “bad days.”
Over the course of twelve hours one day, JESUS was
BETRAYED by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane……
DENIED by PETER, one of His most faithful followers
…………He was put through THREE MOCK TRIALS
……..SLAPPED AROUND by some Roman soldiers
……….BEATEN BEYOND RECOGNITION in a
scourging and CRUCIFIED on a cross between two
thieves.
The next time you’re having a really “bad day”
just remember, CHRIST UNDERSTANDS WHAT
YOU ARE GOING THROUGH!

As Christians, we must believe that GOD is the maker of each and
every day of our lives, and that every single day has meaning and
purpose, regardless of whether we’re having A GOOD DAY or
A BAD DAY.
We must have FAITH that even when we are going through some of
the WORST DAYS of our LIFE, GOD will bring some GOOD out of
those BAD DAYS.
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In our scripture text in GALATIANS 6, we see THREE THINGS TO
DO “When We’re Having A Bad Day.”
First of all, when we’re having a BAD DAY………
I. Let Us Not Grow Weary of Doing Good (v.9a)
v.9a And let us not grow weary while doing good.
1. When we are having a “bad day” we need to be keenly
aware that we are very vulnerable to an attack from Satan.
Satan loves to catch us in moments of weakness and
discouragement to tempt us to do evil.
2. How easy it is on “bad days”………..
-To curse the day!
-To lash out in anger or frustration towards those who
are closest to us!
-To say things we will later regret!
-Or to sit around and pout and feel sorry for ourselves!
3. How easy it is on “bad days”……….
-To get angry with God!
-To resort to an old sinful habit to temporarily “numb”
the pain.

4. When you or I are going through a “bad day” doing something
good may be the last thing we feel like doing. But there
is something healing about DOING GOOD in times of
weariness.
*Listen to some good gospel music.
*Read your Bible.
*Write down the names of some people you know are
going through some really “bad days” and pray for
them to get your mind off yourself.
*Sit down and write a note or a card to send to someone
who is going through a tough time.
5. When we’re having a BAD DAY, let us not grow weary of
doing good!
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Secondly, when we’re having a “bad day”………
II. Let Us Not Lose Heart (v. 9)
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we
shall reap if we do not lose heart.
1. The Greek word that is used for “lose heart” here carries
with it the idea of “giving up” ………”quitting”…….or……
“throwing in the towel.”
2. I think we would be surprised at just how many people
have ENDED THEIR LIVES or ENDED A MARRIAGE or
QUIT A JOB or PERMANENTLY DAMAGED A FRIENDSHIP
because of the events of just “ONE BAD DAY!
3. On bad days you and I have to HAVE HEART! We have
toughen our resolve and entrench ourselves deeper in our
FAITH in God.
On bad days WE MUST NOT QUIT!
WE MUST NOT GIVE UP!
WE MUST BE STRONG!
WE MUST PERSEVERE!

4. On bad days we need to remind ourselves that GOD IS
STILL IN CONTROL! GOD IS STILL ON HIS THRONE!
We must TRUST that GOD knows what we’re going through
and He knows how much of a burden we can handle,
and that He will not allow us to be burdened with more
than we can bear.
ILLUSTRATION
I am reminded of the story about the High School basketball coach
who was trying to keep his team motivated during a particularly
bad season. Night after night this team had been pounded by
their opponents.
At half time of one of the games when his team was behind by
30 points, the coach stood before his players in the locker room
and said…….
“Did Michael Jordan ever quit?” The team responded in unison
with a loud, “No sir!”
The coach shouted, “Did the Wright Brothers ever quit?”
The team shouted back, “No sir!”
The coach shouted, “Did Abraham Lincoln ever quit?” The
team shouted, “No sir!”
The coach shouted, “Did Elmer McCalister ever quit?” There
was dead silence. Then one of the players said, “Coach, we
have never heard of Elmer McCalister!” The coach said,
“Of course you have never heard of Elmer McCalister, because
HE QUIT!”
Brothers and sisters, you and I are going to have some
bad days every now and then.
LET US NOT GROW WEARY OF DOING GOOD!
LET US NOT LOSE HEART!

And thirdly, when we’re having a “bad day” ………….
III. Let Us Seize the Opportunity for God (v. 10)
v. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to
all, especially to those who are of the household of
faith.
1. The world should see a difference in the way you and I
as Christians respond to “bad days” and “difficult
circumstances” as opposed to the way the world responds.
A non-Christian will see difficulty in every opportunity,
while we as Christians should see opportunity in
every difficulty.
2. William Law once wrote………
“As Christians, we should receive every inward and outward
trouble, every disappointment, every pain, every set back,
and every bad day, with both hands, as a true opportunity
to die to self and enter into a fuller fellowship with our
self-denying Savior.
3. When we are having “A BAD DAY” we must SEIZE THE
OPPORTUNITY God has given us to offer a word of
encouragement to someone else.
When we are having “A BAD DAY” we must SEIZE
THE OPPORTUNITY God has given us to do a kind deed
for someone else.
When we are having “A BAD DAY” we must SEIZE THE
OPPORTUNITY God has given us to lend a helping hand
to someone else in need.
4. BAD DAYS are an opportunity for our FAITH to shine
and our LOVE to show.

ILLUSTRATION
Anne Griffin was one of the dearest Christian ladies I ever knew.
Miss Anne, as we called her, was the mother of Eddie Griffin at
Roanoke Bible College, and Sharon Woolard, whom some of you
know, who used to work at Womble’s Drug store in Plymouth.
In the twilight years of her life, Miss Anne developed a brain tumor.
As her condition worsened, Sharon brought Miss Anne to stay
at her house in Plymouth.
Miss Anne had some really “bad days” during those final months
of her life. But every time I went to see Miss Anne, it didn’t matter
how bad of a day she was having, she would always offer me words
of encouragement. I had gone to minister to her and yet every time
I left her, I felt as though Miss Anne had ministered to me.
Miss Anne Griffin lived this scripture. She “SEIZED THE OPPORTUNITY
to do good, even in the worst days of her life.”
C O N C L U S I O N
Horatio Spafford was a well-known Christian lawyer and businessman
back in the 1800’s. But while he enjoyed great career success,
Horatio Spafford and his wife, Anna, endured many “bad days.”
-Their young son died of scarlet fever at the age of four.
-One year later, a fire destroyed most of the real estate
the Spaffords had invested in along the shores of
Lake Michigan.
-A year later, in 1871, the remainder of Spafford’s real estate
holdings were destroyed by the great Chicago fire.
Aware of the terrible toll these disasters had taken on his family
Spafford decided to take his wife and four daughters on a trip
to England. They traveled to New York to catch a French
ship called “Ville de Havre.” Yet just before they sailed, a last
minute business development forced Mr. Spafford to delay.
Not wanting to disappoint his family, Mr. Spafford sent them on
to England, where he would later join them.

On November 2, 1873, Horatio Spafford received the tragic
news that the ship his wife and daughters were sailing on
had sank in the Atlantic. His wife had survived, but his four
daughters had drowned.
Upon hearing this tragic news, Horatio Spafford boarded the
next ship out of New York to join his grieving wife in London.
It was aboard that ship, Horatio Spafford wrote these words
to a song that is very near and dear to our hearts………
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season
we shall reap if we do not lose heart.