I know it happens, because I’ve been there. You so look forward to Sunday, but that day is a flop. Your sermon seemed like a failure. Attendance was down. Your friendly critic wasn’t so friendly. The events of the day bothered you on Sunday afternoon, and you just don’t want to go to work on Monday. What do you do? Here are some options:
- Plan to make a visit to a hospital, a nursing home, or a homeless shelter. When you see what others are facing, your own issues don’t always seem so bad. And, it never hurts us to go minister to someone else.
- Take time on Monday to write your testimony, and send it to a non-believer. Few things help us to press on like remembering all that God has done for us in the past. His past-tense care restores our hope in the present tense.
- Take the day off. Do whatever your church’s system requires to take Monday off, and do something you love to do. For me, that would mean hiking in the woods – and hiking helps me put other stuff into perspective.
- Connect somehow with a mentor or faith hero. Make sure somebody you respect knows what you’re thinking, and trust him or her to encourage and strengthen you. Don’t fight your battles alone.
- Tackle the problem head on—go to work, and address whatever most frustrates you. That may mean you confront opposition or you deal with declining attendance, but you don’t just sit and worry. You do something to make a difference.
- Spend more time than usual in praying about the day. Before you head to work, pray through every event on your calendar. Then, pray about everything else that will unexpectedly appear on your calendar today. Ask God to use the whole day for His glory.
- Plan an outing with your spouse or children tonight. When you have something to look forward to after work, the day at the office isn't so difficult.
- Remember other Mondays when you didn’t want to go to work. If you’ve been in ministry for any length of time, you’ve probably had other tough days. Remind yourself that those days have passed, and this one will, too.
- Tell somebody about Jesus' goodness today. Just your obedience will change your perspective from the temporary to the eternal.
- Resign. I don’t recommend that response (and here’s why . . .), but it is an option.
What other possibilities come to mind for you?
For many years I have hidden with God and written next week’s message on Mondays. I start out feeling just about clinically depressed, but the Bible itself re-energizes me. After having put the message on paper, I can relax considerably and enjoy my more “extroverted” pastor duties during the rest of the week. ‘works for me! BTW, I don’t answer the phone on Mondays; I monitor it in case of an actual emergency. I tell the church I can serve them best by hiding with God on Mondays and running off with my wife on Fridays.