Mondays

“The weekend went by way too fast.”

“I’m dreading getting back to work.”

“I don’t feel like trying very hard on this…Oh well, it’s a Monday.”

Do you say similar things after the weekend? I know I do. I often find myself wishing I didn’t have to get back to work, school, and the busyness of the week. I feel tired, lethargic, and overlook mistakes because, well, I’m just getting back into the swing of things, and it takes time, right? I shouldn’t be expected to be ready to get back into the work I’m called to, bright and early on Monday morning! I mean, of course I’m going to be tired and lazy—I just had a whole day of rest and worship!

I just had a whole day of rest and worship.

I just spent the Lord’s Day in God’s house, worshipping my Creator with my brothers and sisters. I heard God’s commandments, and I felt the weight of my sin. I heard Christ, and I rejoiced in my salvation. I heard the Word, and I desired to walk a Christian life in the service of God.

Should I not then be excited for the week ahead, after being refreshed and reminded of what God has done for me? After that, I ought to be so thankful and ready to do His service that I’m jumping out of bed on Monday, eager to get to work.

But I fail. Often. I heard the Word, but did I it hear it with more than just my ears? Did I prepare myself to receive the gospel? Did I apply that Word to my life? Did I realize the preaching was not just for my head, but for my heart? If not, there’s no way I can be ready for the work week. I won’t hide God’s Word in my heart (Psalm 119:11). I won’t care about what God has done for me, and I won’t strive to live a life doing what He has called me to do.

So I encourage you (and myself) to prepare for true worship. Prepare that you might hear of your sin, your salvation, and be thankful. Hear the gospel within, so that all you do in life pours out from a grateful heart.

And after you hear, don’t just make Mondays bearable, but make them great days. Make them so full of joy and hard work that others see in you the love of God about which you just heard. In Exodus 20:9, God commands us, “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work.” That doesn’t mean to work five days, rest one, and use one as a sluggish, “kind of working” day. Instead, let’s work “heartily, as to the Lord” (Col. 3:23). Let’s remember to “go to the ant” (Prov. 6:6), and remember how God blesses us with and through our work. This applies not just to Mondays, but to every day (and especially after long holiday weekends).

We aren’t always going to get it right, but let’s not let that stop us from striving to follow God’s commands more and more.

Let’s not make Mondays our excuse to do anything other than our best.

Mary Mahtani