Monday Blues

https://odb.org/MY/2022/11/07/thankful-for-monday

I used to dread Mondays. After the spiritual high of a Sunday worship service, it’s back to the grind on a Monday. Or after a weekend of a short holiday somewhere, we are back to face reality on Monday. Mondays bring us back to earth so to speak, from our weekend daydreams to the harsh reality of life. We are back to facing and resolving issues at work, documents to clear, transactions to close, deadlines to meet. Sometimes on Mondays I feel like the ox that needs to go round and round again with heavy yoke around my neck. I guess Jesus also understands our Monday blues when He asked us to cast our burdens on Him for His yoke is light and He will give us rest – see Matthew 11:28-30.

I used the past tense at the start because since I started at my new job, I don’t dread Mondays anymore or rather, I dread it much less! My wife and I have developed this routine where we stay in our condo in the big city during the week and return to our abode in our smaller city during weekends. In addition, I also return home once in the middle of the week and work from home for a day. It’s not that far away, just a little over an hour’s drive during off peak periods. I’m thankful to God for my new job. I’m much happier here and although the future remains uncertain as my new employer is a start up and the economic outlook is gloomy over the next few years, I believe that the Lord is and has been implementing His moves to make His plans for my life come to fruition. It’s really exciting to see Him working in me as I wait upon Him and discover what He has in store for me for my next chapter in life. Perhaps the time to serve Him in a different way will come.

Although work can be meaningless to some of us in the sense that we are only earning a living and perhaps not doing something meaningful like helping the poor – as pointed out by Solomon who wrote Ecclesiastes in chapter 2 verse 24, it becomes meaningful when the LORD is present in our midst. All that we toil for, we can’t bring with us. We must leave it to the one behind. Yet we find meaning in all that in God. Work becomes meaningful when we relate to God in all that we do although we may not be in full time ministry. Secular work can be meaningful if we treat it as working unto the Lord. Jesus is our Master and Lord and we do it unto Him, for His glory.

Monday blues may be less of a dread if we find the presence of God amidst the chaos, the deadlines and assignments. Find the meaning of our job in God and we will find fulfilment in the things we do although superficially our work may not be directly beneficial to society. Of course ministry and charity work are the most meaningful but if we have God in us and we relate to Christ in our work, our work can be meaningful too although mundane and boring. Perhaps our labour of love and our faifulness to the “land” given to us by the Lord will be one of our subtle ways to build up our treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not destroy! Have a great week ahead as we look forward towards Christmas! 😀😀😀