What are your Mondays usually like? From time to time mine are a challenge. As much as I would like to say I always charge into my Mondays filled with “vim and vigor”, eager to step into what God would have for me…..that has not always been my reality. I suspect it is not always yours either.
This past Monday was just that for me. It was tough to step into it with the right mindset. It was tough to tap into the energy needed to make the day a “good one”. What was perplexing for me was the fact that I had just enjoyed a restful weekend. “It shouldn’t be that way” was what I was telling myself. Yet, it was!
I was frustrated with the work I had to do to “right-size” my thinking – again! The challenge it created was perplexing as I launched into my day.
Struggling Mondays can be very real for any of us.
What do regular business people like you and me do with those times when Monday can be a challenge? How do we turn what could be a “disconnected-from-life-and-God day” into something much more beautiful.
Here are 5 steps I use to help me enter into a more fulfilling day:
- Choose to STOP and reflect on what is happening in my inner person. Stopping doesn’t necessarily mean for a long time. It can be for just a few minutes. But stopping does mean – STOP!
- Declare and acknowledge the fact that I am not “feeling it” today! Ignoring and/or denying what is really happening on the inside is a recipe for ongoing frustration. Honesty with self, God and others is crucial. Face the truth with His strength.
- Choose to thank Him for my sense of disconnect! This may sound strange but just like physical pain is a strong message that something is not right, our sense of disconnect serves a similar purpose. So thank Him for catching your attention with the disconnect! Without it you wouldn’t know that you are not aligned with Him.
- Confess my deep need for God! You did not create yourself; He made you. Because He made us, we also need Him to revive our souls, to refresh us, to renew us, to recalibrate us. As Henri Nouwen writes, Jesus is “The Only Necessary Thing”. Is He yours?
- Realign my thinking with what is true. Choose to enjoy a favourite scripture passage, a writing that inspires you, a song that refreshes your soul.
This morning I read Psalm 19:7-8 (NLT). Revived again! Take a moment to slowly read, reflect and invite God to encourage your heart and mind with these truths.
“The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living.”
These 5 steps have helped me remain in a much more centered place with God, self and others as I go into my day. Now it’s your turn!
Praying that your soul will be revived today!
Pete
Reflection:
On your own or with a friend ask the following: God,
- What are you teaching me about you?
- What are you teaching me about me?
- What would you have me “do” as a result?
- Who would you like me to share this with?
