Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

One morning I woke up, got out of bed, exercised, showered and began to get ready for my day before I prayed and wrote Fresh Manna. I noticed something that morning. I noticed I was feeling cranky. No one had done anything wrong. I hadn’t even talked with Renee other than saying Good morning honey. She hadn’t said or done anything to contribute to how I was feeling. I was just plain old feeling cranky. I could tell. My thoughts seemed cranky and my attitude felt cranky and I recognized it. Thank God I hadn’t really encountered anyone in a discussion yet. So because I was feeling this way, I asked myself the question. Why did I feel so cranky? It was one of those questions that had no answer.  

If I had come up with an answer, it would not have been justified. The Holy Spirit taught me a long time ago, there is no excuse for being a crank. All cranky is, is yielding to a tired or lazy mind or arbitrary feelings that come and go the same way your flesh likes to yield to fleshly things. Even if someone had said or done something offensive to me, is that an excuse to be cranky? No! If I had a bad day or a bad week, is that a reason to be cranky? No! The Lord taught me that there is no reason or legitimate excuse to be cranky. It’s just a state of mind you have to deal with and pull yourself out of. Something the Lord has taught me over the years, is that your feelings are fickle and you can’t trust them. But your feelings will follow your faith! Consequently, I did just that! Though I wasn’t’ really feeling it, I began to say Thank you Lord for this beautiful day! This is the day that you have made and I will be glad and rejoice in it! Thank you for all you have blessed me with! Thank you for the precious people you have filled my life with! And on and on.

I then went and gave Renee a morning kiss and big hug and went on with my day. Cranky tried to come along but cranky had to go! Cranky is a self-pity party. Cranky is being self-absorbed in oneself. Cranky is not welcome in my home or life.

No one wants to be around someone who is cranky, ornery, moody, or irritable. Irritable is defined as: easily irritated or annoyed; readily excited to impatience or anger; easily angered; touchy; ready to snap at or fight or argue with. That would define how I acted out cranky or irritable in the days before I knew the Lord and the early days after I knew Him.

Cranky, ornery, moody, irritable attitudes are all around us daily. Christians can be just as cranky as anyone, yet Jesus teaches us through His Word that our character is developed in godliness when we put away the selfish and fleshly attitudes the world lives by.

1 Corinthians 13:5 says that “Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.” If you really want to walk in this, it will take you requesting God’s grace and help. In your own strength you will fail! When the temptation to be cranky or grouchy is at your doorstep, pause and lift your head toward Heaven and receive God’s grace. Grace is His supernatural help and equipping to get things done His way. And yes, even when you need help changing your moodiness! Hebrews 4:16 NLT says, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.”

You are created in God’s image and if you know Jesus as your Savior, then you have the Holy Spirit indwelling within you. In those cranky moments, go lock yourself in the bathroom, look in the mirror and remind yourself who you are. Say: I am sweet. I am kind. I am forgiving. I am joyful, I am thankful, I am overflowing with God’s love. This is who you created me to be so they could see You in me Lord. And I thank you for it in Jesus name! Let His grace quickly transform your attitude. Then banish cranky, grouchy, ornery from your life. Those around you will be so glad!

1 John 4:7 (NIV) “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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