Bad Day

When was the last time you had one of those Murphy’s Law kind of days (if something can go wrong, it will go wrong)? For me, that was this past Monday. Let me walk you through my day. I was already four days behind on a deadline for a ticket I had been working on. Then another task was added to my plate. It was to update a database. Like any good developer, I tested it locally first before applying the change to the actual database. Unlike a good developer, I didn’t take a backup of the table first. That step would have literally taken a few seconds. I was rushing to test the script so I could get back to the ticket that was overdue. Well, I completely missed the mark and overwrote all the data in a table. This table impacted the very ticket I was already behind on.

Now I had to fix my local environment, admit to my manager what I had just done, ask for assistance, and still work on the ticket that was past the deadline. Thankfully, my manager was understanding, although I think he might have enjoyed a joke or two at my expense. He stepped in to help me. You’re probably expecting some story of how I overcame the situation with something really spiritual to make this sound holy. Nope. I complained and said a few things under my breath and in my head that I needed forgiveness for later.

I tell you this story to introduce one of my not-so-great moments. The fact that you are reading this means you’ve lived long enough to have your own bad day stories. However, it is what we do with the bad days that counts. I did eventually fix the ticket, and the issue with the database was resolved. I think what I needed to learn was humility.

Now let me introduce you to a man who did get it right. A biblical figure I should have modeled: Joseph. You can find more about Joseph’s life in Genesis 37 through 50. Joseph is introduced to us as a favored child who also needed to learn humility. His brothers decided to teach it to him by selling him as a slave. While that is bad, it was better than the alternative, which was that they initially wanted to kill him. You want to talk about a bad day? Joseph’s day was far worse than mine.

His life continued to spiral downhill, or so it seemed. However, throughout his journey as a slave, he was promoted to being second in charge to Pharaoh. I won’t explain the entire account of his life here, but if you want to read about someone who was, in the words of Vickie Winans, “I've been lied on, cheated, talked about, mistreated. I've been rebuked, scorned, talked about sure as you're born,” then read Genesis 37 through 50.

The most telling part about Joseph and his maturity is that he didn’t hold a grudge against his family. He did get even, but he came to his senses. When he finally revealed to his brothers who he was, he had a choice to make: hold a grudge or forgive. He took the high road. He explained in Genesis 45:7 (NIV), “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” Trust God through the hard times, and you will come out wiser, stronger, and better for it. If you are wondering what I learned from my bad day, I would say to have a solid backup before making changes. That is wisdom!

Spiritually, I learned that even on the bad days, I need to honor God, resist the urge to complain, and trust that He will bring me through.

Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven. Praise and honor to Your Holy name. Thank you for the good days, and also for the bad days. LORD please forgive me when I don’t handle those bad days in a way that would honor You. Help me to see each day as a blessing. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Author: Travis White | 05-16-2025