Facing Mondays

Was it hard to face a Monday when you got up this morning? Sometimes it's adding insult to injury to turn the alarm off and then remember that it's Monday.

I'm probably not the only pastor's wife that feels exhausted by the time everything is finished up at church on Sunday night. And it seems like some of that exhaustion rolls right over to Monday morning. Especially if I'm already facing a list of items that I didn't quite get done at the end of last week, and then Monday comes rolling in like a runaway freight train.

So how to cope?

Philippians 4:4 tells us to rejoice in the Lord always. If you know anything about grammar, you know that this is an imperative statement. In other words, this is a command. God commands us to rejoice. There are no caveats or exemptions or exceptions to this command. He simply tells us to rejoice in Him always.

That means rejoice when you don't feel well.

Rejoice when you're stressed.

Rejoice when you're pressed for time.

Rejoice when you're weighed down by burdens.

Rejoice on Mondays.

I understood the command to rejoice, but I never understood why He wanted us to rejoice always. It's not because God wants us to run around like happy little robots. Or like He expects us to "sell" the Christian life by plastering a fake smile on our face.

Believe it or not, God commands us to rejoice for our own good. Nehemiah 8:10 says the joy of the Lord is your strength. You need strength to get through life's trials? Rejoice. Worried about your children? Rejoice. Stressed about the finances? Rejoice. It's through rejoicing in Him that we find the strength that we need to get through the trials that come our way.

So how do we get from a stressed or worried frame of mind to a rejoicing one? Philippians 4:8. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

If you focus on what's pure and lovely and true and honest and just, you'll be rejoicing in no time.

Now it's your turn. In the comments, mention one thing you can rejoice about on this Monday morning.