Have you ever found yourself feeling grumpy or grouchy, irritable or snippy, but you didn't know why? Before you judge or condemn yourself, you should realize that those emotions could be related to health issues or hormonal changes in your body and are not necessarily a sign of spiritual weakness or a lack of love for your fellow man.

It's hard to be godly toward others and walk in the Spirit when we don't feel well. That's one reason it is essential to take care of ourselves or, as God's Word puts it, his temple. "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies" (1 Cor. 6:19 NIV). We need to eat right, exercise, and get our rest. We need to discern what is going on within our bodies, not only in the spiritual realm.

Being moody and depressed (especially over an extended period of time) is not always a choice, as some would have us believe. Many years ago, mainstream medical professionals said that PMS was all in women's heads. But time and experience has proven them wrong. If we don't realize that being depressed can be the result of medical problems or medications, we can get discouraged trying to figure out what in the world is going on within us

This reminds me of one time many years ago when I and my husband had just moved into our new home and our marriage was going along very well. However, after a few months I noticed that I was extremely irritated and grumpy, so much to the point that I couldn't stand myself! And I didn't know why. It was very unpleasant for me and I'm sure for my husband as well. Nevertheless, all praises to God, I finally made a doctor appointment. There I learned that I had developed hypoglycemia and one of it's many symptoms is depression and irritability. It is good that I went to the doctor and had a physical body checkup, even as I started to analyze my spiritual being and my walk with God.

If you sometimes find it difficult to be gentle, long-suffering, and self-controlled, don't condemn yourself. We do need to fix what we can, but we also need to be patient with ourselves, just as Father desires that we be toward others. So along with a spiritual analysis, look to the body to determine whether something physical is affecting you. There may be something out of order with your flesh, not your spirit.