In our world, Monday has a bad reputation. For just being a day of the week, it gets a lot of negative attention.
Songs have been written about how bad Monday is, your Facebook feed will clutter up with clever and not-so-clever jokes on all that’s wrong with Monday, and in some countries, getting married on a Monday is your cheapest option, because who’d want to get married on a Monday?
For Christians, Mondays don’t have to be like that. The first day of the week is full of promises, and more importantly, full of opportunities.
As Christians, we are called and equipped to advance the kingdom of God into the world.
The Kingdom of God
The kingdom of God (or heaven, as it’s also called) is not just a place we go when we die.
When Christians bring the love of God into the world and repair what’s broken, or love and forgive people where others cannot, heaven comes down to earth, and people get a glimpse of the kingdom of God.
This is why Jesus says, “For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).
So how are we called and equipped to advance the kingdom of God then? First of all, it’s important to recognize that we have been given things to manage. The luxury we have in this world (especially in the Western world) is never simply the result of our own hard work.
Most people who live in North America never chose to live there, but were brought up in that luxury lifestyle. Because we have received those things, we have been given stewardship over them. We are supposed to use all those things in a way God has designed.
A Design for Your Life
And in the Old Testament, the first half of the Bible, God lays out exactly how His design works. To know how to use your gifts, and the things you’ve received to be stewards over, the Old Testament is where to look. Throughout all the books in the Old Testament, God shows us how to use our money, our luxuries, and all the things we receive, including our ability to work and make money.
God’s design is the only way to advance the kingdom of God. If you use your assets, your wealth, and your time true to God’s design, you can’t not advance the kingdom of God in this world. So when it comes to Mondays, there should not be room for pessimism. Where all the world regards Monday with suspicion, Christians should get excited about Mondays.
Mondays are the start of the week, and in this optimistic setting, Mondays are our chance to advance the kingdom of God. It’s our chance to use the gift of time, resources, and relationships to make everyone’s week better. God and you enter the week together. That idea cannot be captured in grumpy cat memes, but should be captured in your heart.
That optimism creates a yahoo Monday.
Yahoo Mondays
There are two ways to think of yahoo. On the one hand, the definition of yahoo is a group of rowdy people, people who get in your way. On the other, it’s an expression of excitement. And that’s the way to think about Mondays.
On Monday morning, it’s time to take over the world one step at a time. You’re representing the God of the universe, and you’re his hands in this world. That means that you’re seeing opportunities to serve God in your work and your relations with other people.
And thinking from the kingdom of God can also give you a sense of rest. The more you ingrain the kingdom of God into your life, the more you’ll realize that success and money aren’t the same thing. That happiness doesn’t come from the things other people chase to no end.
When you’re living in the kingdom of God, it’s impossible to be rich and miserable, or poor and resentful. You’ll see all that is given to you, and have a desire to make those things work for the better good of this world, no matter how little it seems to others.
If you’re looking for the kingdom of God first, all other things will be taken care of. That’s not just a fancy idea, but the literal words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” And don’t be mistaken: the kingdom of God can be advanced in your daily work.
God wants you to work, God wants you to do great at the things He made you to do, but He wants you to do it His way, because that’s the way you were made to do things.
How to Make Mondays Amazing
From that angle, it gets really hard not to get excited about Mondays.
You were made with specific talents, given specific resources and days to make your own, and now you’re teaming up with the creator of the universe to make this world a better place. You’re in the perfect position to make this world a better place, and you don’t have to go anywhere.
You are where you need to be to advance the kingdom of God. It’s all about how you use your resources, how you treat and approach people, and about the small decisions you make in your day.
Listen to “Yahoo It’s Monday” – a sermon by Pastor Bill Arsenault of Faithworks Centre:
To download the file, right click here and select Save File As.
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