Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

by Cassie Downs

Christian Blogger

My family and I love this movie, to say it’s hilarious is an understatement. If you’re ever having a bad day and need a good laugh, it’s one you’ll want to Netflix for sure. Now I’ve had some rough days before, but none that have looked quite like that. Alexander makes a wish that his family would know what it was like to have a bad day, and boy do they find out. The whole family wakes up to a complete disaster of a day. Now their story doesn’t stay bad; eventually, all turns out well for them, but not before a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Something God has been challenging me with recently is how we respond and allow him access to our less than good days. The truth is, we all have bad days from time to time. Some come through things at work, maybe family issues we are facing, possibly from getting up on the wrong side of the bed, or perhaps it’s more than that. Maybe your bad day came in the form of cancer or a financial struggle. Whatever your bad day looks like, God wants to use it for His glory.

In Acts 16:16-34, Paul and Silas started out on a journey from the Lord (verse 10) and all was well until they met a fortune teller.  First, they were annoyed by the crazy lady to the point of having to call out the demonic spirit within her, causing them to be arrested and thrown into the inner prison. How often is this us? We are living the life we believe honorable to God, but yet find ourselves having some terrible days. But before we get too disappointed and want to throw in the towel, let’s read what happened to Paul and Silas. Verses twenty-five and twenty-six, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.”. Yay! A bad day turned great, right!? Well, yes, but this isn’t where the story ends. About verse twenty-seven we see the jailor come into the picture, and thinking everyone has escaped, he decides he’ll kill himself before anyone else has a chance to. But before he can take his life, Paul calls out to him and reassures him everyone is there. And the big bad jailor hit his knees and asked to be saved. In turn he and his entire household were saved and baptized. What the enemy planned for evil, God meant for good (Gen 50:20).

As I read and reread this story, I couldn’t help but think about my selfishness. When I have awful days I make it all about poor me, what I should be thinking is how can I use this bad day or situation for God’s glory. Paul and Silas were on a mission for God yet were thrown into prison. Even in the midst of our circumstances, God has a plan for good. He knew there was going to be a jailor and his family who needed to be saved that day, and he had just the men for the job. Now please don’t misunderstand, God doesn’t cause our bad days, but he does make the bad days have a purpose. Sometimes our most significant inconveniences can be our most significant blessings. So before you write your bad day off, is there someone God can reach through you and your bad day? Our terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days aren’t always just about us.