Billy Joe Daugherty - Getting Over the Moody Blues

CONTENTS

Chapter One

Living On a Continual High

You don't have to live a roller coaster existence"up" one day and "down" the next. "Up" when holidays come, when you are together with family and friends, when there is a joyous occasion, or when vacation time rolls around, and then "down" when these special occasions are over. You can live on a continual high when Jesus Christ is at the center of your life.

The Apostle Paul had a lot of high moments in his life. One was his calling to go to Rome, even though the Prophet Agabus said he would be imprisoned if he went. Paul was imprisoned at Rome just as Agabus prophesied, but it was in this period of time that Paul wrote to the Philippians.

The theme of Paul's prison letter to the Philippians is "rejoice"! Paul, by choice, was a prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ, meaning he was totally "sold out" to Him. Man's imprisonment had no effect on his spiritual life because of his commitment to Jesus Christ.

Though many of Paul's comrades felt sorry for him because of his imprisonment, Paul said:

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.

Philippians 1:12

Paul was saying, "Don't feel sorry for me! What has happened has simply advanced the spread of the Gospel!"

So that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ.

Verse 13

Again, Paul was saying, "News of my imprisonment and of my testimony has reached even the hierarchy of the land."

And most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill:

The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;

But the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be manifested in my body, whether by life or by death.

Verses 14-20

Verse 21 is the key and the heart of Paul's message:

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Many people go through a great experience, a wonderful event, or a happy celebration, then they hit a period of what I call, "the moody blues." For some people, this occurs at holiday times when family and friends are together in the warmth of love and acceptance. When they say their goodbyes, they know it may be months, possibly even years, before they will be together again.

The moody blues set in, and before they realize what is happening, they are depressed and down.

Chapter Two

My Experience With the Moody Blues

Before I was born again in May, 1970, I didn't know you could live on a continual high.

As a youngster, I had such wonderful feelings about Christmasuntil it was over! Once the presents were opened, the tree was empty, all the goodies were eaten and everyone had gone home, the moody blues hit me because of the emptiness I felt. I remember thinking, "I wish we could have Christmas all year long."

God answered the cry of my heart, because I discovered that you can have Christmas every day of the year when Jesus Christ resides in your heart. Really, Christmas is celebrating Jesus, and we should do that every day of the year!

As a young teenager, the moody blues hit me again when my two brothers married and left home. Although my brothers were seven and eight years older than me, we were very close. My dad made them be nice to me when I was growing up! He made them take me with them on their dates! We hunted, fished, camped and played all types of sports together. My dad was a Scoutmaster, so we had a lot of fun as a family.

When my brother Jack got married, it was a beautiful celebration, but I remember the emptiness I felt when he didn't come home anymore. I was really sorrowful about his leaving.

My brothers and I had bunk beds and one double bed among us. Because no one wanted to sleep in the bunk beds, my dad devised a plan he felt was fair. He made us rotate beds each night from top bunk, bottom bunk, to double bed. All my years growing up, we slept in a different bed each night. Now there were only two of us to rotate in the three beds!

A couple years later, my other brother married and moved to another state. I can remember lying in bed after his wedding thinking, "I am all alone."

I have discovered that many people never come out of the sadness and depression they experience, whether it is with a sibling, the parents' failure to adjust when their children leave home, or when death or divorce occurs.

God's plans for your life include stability, which is found in His Son, Jesus Christ, rather than continually experiencing mood swings that keep you on an up and down, roller coaster existence!

Chapter Three

Primary Causes for an Empty Existence

There are two primary causes for an empty existence or roller coaster living, where people are dominated by the moody blues.

1. Unrealistic expectations create an atmosphere for depression.

Some people look forward to a particular event to bring them total joy, peace and happiness. For some people, a ball game holds such expectation, but they hit the moody blues when their team loses.

I remember watching the Razorbacks as a boy, and when they lost, we were depressed for a week! We lived in an up and down state based upon what happened in the ball game.

2. Focus on temporal things leaves an empty life.

When I was twenty years old, I had a vision while I was on the athletic field of the state college

I attended. I saw people living all their lives for temporal things, then coming to the end of their lives and looking back, realizing nothing they had ever done would go into eternity.

The Lord spoke to me, "You can start today living for eternal things, and when you come to the end of your life, the people you have touched will go into eternity." I made a decision that very day to base my entire life on eternal values.

Chapter Four

Ten Keys for Living Above the Moody Blues

Here are ten keys to help you live on a continual high, no longer dominated by the moody blues.

1. You have power over your thoughts.

Your thoughts will create your mood. Moody people don't have control over their thinking. Certain thoughts will cause your blood pressure to rise while the recall of some incidents will produce a calming effect. Your thoughts affect the spirit, body and soul (which includes the emotions). They are hooked together.

Many people are depressed because they don't take charge over their thoughts. Second Corinthians 10:4 ,5 KJV says:

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

These verses indicate that you can take control of your thoughts.

Paul indicates what we are to think on, again indicating that we can choose to control our thoughts.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.