Most of us are familiar with TGIF – Thank God It’s Friday! It’s kind of a sigh of relief we breathe as we come to the end of a tough week and look forward to the weekend which holds out the prospect of rest and a break from the problems and pressures of work. TGIF is a legitimate sigh because God did not design us to work all the time. He ordained the “Sabbath” as a day of physical rest and spiritual refreshing. In our culture many are fortunate to have both Saturday and Sunday away from work, but those days are not entirely “rest” as we need (get) to fit into them family responsibilities, social gatherings, home repairs, the general admin of life, and, of course, church life and ministry. These activities and responsibilities often mean that the weekend flies by and when the alarm goes off on Monday morning we find ourselves sighing OSIM – Oh Shucks It’s Monday!
Understandable!
TGIF is a legitimate sigh because God did not design us to work all the time.
When we have things in Biblical perspective, however, when the alarm goes off on Monday morning there are solid reasons to say (even if we do not initially feel like it) TGIM – Thank God It’s Monday! There are many reasons why we can and should say TGIM. Let me remind you of a few:
- Work is a gift. God made us to work, and having a job that gives us purpose and for which we get paid is a great gift. In a country where unemployment sits at around 25%, having a job is an enormous privilege. Unemployment eats away at a person’s self-esteem and makes them feel useless and frustrated, not to speak of the economic hardships it creates. So, if you have work, thank God for it every day. And pray for and assist those who don’t.
- Work is an opportunity. It is an opportunity to make our small (in some cases, large) contribution toward making our country “work.” For a country to “work” requires millions of people faithfully doing their “thing” well. Having work gives each of us that opportunity.
- Work is witness. As Christ-followers we spend more hours in the workplace than anywhere else. In the workplace, before our colleagues and customers, we have the opportunity to show and share Christ in all sorts of ways. Pitching up on time, working diligently, having a positive attitude, handling frustrations patiently, caring for those around us lovingly, and being scrupulously honest are all part of Christian witness. They give us credibility and provide the platform for Christian witness.
- Work is worship. Each day we must take to heart God’s word through the apostle Paul: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24). Yes, work is worship! As we transition from Sunday to Monday, worship continues. Every day can be a worship day as we live and work for God.