Monday Monday Monday

Let’s talk about Mondays! Do you just love Mondays? Some people call them “blue Mondays.” Occasionally, doctors have reported that some people have higher blood pressure on Mondays, and there is a notable rise in heart attacks, strokes, and sudden cardiac deaths. Ready to sleep in?

In 1966, it was the Mamas and the Papas who sang, “Monday Monday, can't trust that day, Monday Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way.” Monday was not their favorite day. Someone else said, “It's awful knowing that one seventh of our life will be wasted on Mondays.”

In Bible college, I had a 6:30 AM class with Dr. C.M. Ward on Monday mornings. It was a tough call since I often did not get back to campus Sunday nights until after midnight with choir ministry trips. Recently, I was reading over Dr. Ward’s notes from February 1969. He was teaching that the preacher must be an early riser. We should never be called an idler or a playboy. Then he quoted Luke 6:13 where Jesus had spent the whole night in prayer, then at daybreak, he gathered His disciples for business.

As a pastor, I was always super-busy on Mondays. While some others chose to take Mondays off to recuperate from the busy weekend events, I saw Mondays as a day for staff fellowship and administrative duties. It was on Monday that the attendance and financial figures were reported, along with an accounting of visitors, altar results, absentees, and notice of those that were hospitalized. Our Monday morning staff meetings gave each departmental leader the opportunity to share testimonies of victories, or some of the challenges that surfaced since our last meeting.

To me, Sunday was the first day of the week, and was reserved for worship. But Monday, was the first work day of the week. Success depended on how well I handled Monday reports. Assignments were set in motion. Hurts were mended. It was like going to the optometrist. Mondays we checked our vision, and refocused on our key goals for the week ahead. I like Mondays.

Many people look at Mondays as the day after the game. They are either elated or they are angry at the coach, or the team. On sports radio, Mondays have the most emotional callers. They rant or rave about the decisive game, or the terrible officiating, or the high price of tickets. By Tuesday, they tend to settle down into their regular grumpy routines.

In the Bible, Monday was a special day. Here are two examples:

1. Monday was the second day of Creation. Genesis 1:6-8 ESV – “And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.”

Apparently, on the Monday morning of Creation, the world was completely covered by water. Lots of people feel under water after a weekend. But God spoke, and He separated the waters with the sky. The waters below became the oceans. The waters above became the clouds from which come rain and snow. The powerful truth is that God spoke again on a Monday, and cleared up Creation. That’s Good News for the Monday blues.

2. The second Monday I will mention is found in Matthew 21. During the week leading up to the Resurrection of Jesus, churches often celebrate Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. But that particular Monday was a significant day, too. On that day Jesus threw the money-changers out of the Temple because they were desecrating it with their thievery. He also cursed the fig tree for not bearing fruit. Seems to me, Jesus saw that Monday as a day to get things back into order and to re-focus the Vision. That must be where I got the idea?

Next Monday, why not approach it with fresh eyes. Know the Word and move forward.