“Help me, God, I don’t want to do anything today.”
I’ve noticed a new behavior in my life. Now that I’ve been preaching most Sundays, I find that Monday is not my “favorite day” of the week. And by not my favorite, I think “loathe” is a good word for how I feel about Mondays when I first wake up.
I wake up slower on Monday. I move slower on Monday. I just want to get alone on Mondays and spend most of my time in solitude and silence like the monks used to do.
Do you have a “Monk Monday” in your schedule? The tough day of the week or month?
Of course, I keep going. I drive the boys to the bus stop, and I’m at work in my office by 7:40am. I have the opportunity to join God’s Kingdom work, so I don’t really want to quit. But Monday’s start out rough.
God has recently shown me so much patience and kindness in my limitations. It’s like He wants me to feel tired on Monday so that I seek rest and renewal in Him. My temptations are to turn to food and entertainment for life and fulfillment (also known as “idolatry” in the Bible).
Do you know the part of Jesus’ prayer, “and lead us away from temptation?” I’ve been thinking a lot about that recently. God wants me to ask Him on a regular basis to “lead me away from temptation.”
Somehow, He has used “Monk Mondays” as a tool to show me how to turn to Him, and not ice cream or movies or whatever else is promising relief.
On my weakest day, my hardest day of the week, He is creating something new in my life. When I don’t want to do anything, He is doing His sanctifying work in my life.
It’s actually Monday morning as I am writing this, so I feel especially grateful for His ministry in my life. My prayer for you is that you will sense His presence and joy today.
He loves you so much. He understands your limitations so well. May He lead you away from temptation, and toward His loving arms.
2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (ESV): But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Galatians 6:9-10,
Pastor Jack