Terrible Tues. is a Tuesday blog series for adults, because two-year-olds aren’t the only ones who have bad days. Here’s the first installment…

10 WAYS TO IMPROVE A BAD DAY

1. Protect the Other Guy.

Determine you will NOT turn it into someone else’s bad day too. You will be wrong. You will feel worse.

2. Pray.

Tell God what’s bugging you, then tell Him what’s really bothering you. Ask Him to show you the difference and what to do about it. Trust Him.

3. Analyze.

Ask/answer questions about today and make determinations regarding tomorrow, because it will be a new day… Would I be feeling more up to dealing with today’s struggles if I had put myself to bed earlier? Woke up on time? Ate real food instead of coffee for breakfast? Planned ahead or anticipated potential problems better? Put forth more effort somewhere? Been more disciplined somewhere? Have I developed habits and practices that lend themselves more to good days rather than bad ones? Would a walk to clear my head or a nap to reset the day help? Am ‘I’ the problem? Am I stewing in the problem or working to fix it? If there is nothing in my power to better the situation, am I taking the best approach to accepting and dealing with it? Have I been neglecting my spiritual life? Is this Satan trying to push his agenda? Etcetera… And, at certain ‘times’ you may be prudent to ask yourself (not others), “Is this hormones getting the best of me?”

4. Be Honest..

How are you really doing? Probably better than you deserve if you’re a sinner saved by God’s Grace and Mercy.

5. Be Repentant.

Whether it is the cause of your bad day or not, fixing something you broke will make your day better. Whether it is a bad attitude you are harboring or a mistake you’ve made (accidentally or on purpose -and you should recognize the difference), own it, do something to set it right, be resolved not to repeat it, sincerely ask for forgiveness, and be as quick and sincere at forgiving others as you’d like others to be with you today.

6. Be Thankful.

Start listing things, big and small, you are thankful for and keep going until your mood turns around. Yes, you DO have enough things to list to turn the ship around.

7. Remember.

Okay, maybe you messed up the day or someone else messed your day for you, remember the Lord’s admonition to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,” (2 Corinthians 12:9). This is true for you too, as is His encouragement to his disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33).

8. Do Not Give Up.

Maybe it’s not a bad day, maybe it is an impetus for change and an opportunity for the better. Look around with fresh eyes.

9. Take the High Road.

Take the high road and at the end of the day you’ll lie down and be thankful that, if nothing else, at least you were a good example to anyone who cared enough to notice. The Lord cares and He definitely noticed.

10. Recognize the Bright Spots.

Review the list you made for #6 and thank God personally for everything on it. Then, commit it to memory for the next day that starts to go awry along with Scripture verses that encourage you and illustrate God’s truth and promises. Here’s a few verses to get you started: 10 Cool Bible Verses for a Bad Day