We hate Mondays.
Don’t we? Every Monday, my instagram, twitter, and facebook feeds are filled with images, memes, and general posts about how awful Mondays are. We live for the weekends and dread Monday’s return. When the inevitable happens, and we wake up on Monday, we often whine or complain about the day until it’s over.
But, seriously, what’s so bad about Monday?
Look, I get it. It’s the end of our too-short of a weekend. It’s the beginning to another work week filled with tasks, responsibilities, waking up to an alarm, annoying people at our day jobs, etc. Believe me, I used to dread Mondays– and I’m still working on my attitude about Mondays, but I was very convicted a few months ago when I heard someone say,
“What is Monday?”
“It’s another day we get to wake up in the morning, blessed and highly favored!”
Now before some of you gag, stay with me and think about this for just a moment.
God created a 7-day week, and in fact, he created a 6-day work week with a one day Sabbath. (So frankly we’ve got it pretty good having a 2-day weekend.) But how do you think God views our Mondays?
It’s another day He gives us life– actual, you get to wake up another day, live eat and breathe LIFE. It’s another day He lavishes us with His unconditional love. It’s another day His mercies are new. It’s another day He has good works prepared for us to carry out. It’s another day He rescues us. It’s another day He forgives us. Another day He strengthens the needy, heals the sick, gives the spiritually blind new eyes to see Him. It’s another day He uses to carry out His kingdom purposes on earth.
I’m preaching to myself here.
We are only killing our own joy by having a bad ‘tude about Mondays. Instead, if we looked at Mondays through God’s eyes, through spiritual eyes, we would wake up with purpose, intention, joy, hope, and maybe even–excitement! (Too far?)
My father-in-law raised his kids saying, “You should wake up every morning like we’re going to Disney world!” When my husband first told me this, I rolled my eyes. Gross, right? Not EVERYONE should be a morning person– that’s just wrong.
But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I believe that if I put on the mind of Christ, if I die to self and pick up His cross, Mondays should be a seen as a gift, not a curse.
Another family friend, used to always tell his wife “every morning is like Christmas day,” just because he got to wake up and spend time in God’s Word. I know a lot of us, myself included, treat a lot of mornings–especially Monday mornings– like we are being punished!
As true Christ-followers, we should live pretty counter-cultural.
Let’s start by treating Monday as a gift and not a curse. Don’t join in whining and complaining about the day when everyone else around you does. Choose joy! Ask God to give you His perspective on Mondays. Let’s shine light in the “I hate Monday” clouds of doom our culture nurtures.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. (Philippians 2:14-16a)
