Today's Passage: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25
There's just something about the middle of the week that can drag us down. Currently I do not work outside of the home while I undergo medical treatments; however, I worked fulltime for years and I can remember how far away Friday seemed, as if it were a dangling carrot barely visible on the horizon. Even now, I look forward to weekends so that my husband and I can be together and I can get out of the house before I lose my sanity.
For those of you who are domestic engineers, weekends mean hopefully getting away for a little while, especially on those wonderful occasions when a babysitter or family member can keep the little ones. During the summer, weekend passes can be very relaxing as you soak up the sunshine, spend time in the garden or play a few rounds of tennis to get away from workplace deadlines or daily chores.
As Christians who live and work in the world, we also look forward to the weekend. God Himself implemented a day of rest in Genesis after the world and everything in it were created (Genesis 2:2-3) and the institution of the Sabbath day under the Mosaic law began (Exodus 23:12). King Solomon noted that man is consumed with work in Ecclesiastes 2:22-23: “What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.”
We know that constant anxiety and worry are not God’s intention for us, as noted by Jesus in Matthew 6:31-34: “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
If wise Solomon saw that we are overloaded with work at times and we know that God Himself rested after creating the world, is it any wonder that we experience middle of the week blahs sometimes? How can we get that extra “boost” during the middle of the week to keep us going? The Bible gives us the answer to this question.
1. Attend middle-of-the-week worship services. Wednesday night worship services are designed to give us an extra opportunity to worship the Lord and study His Word, but they are also designed to encourage us by meeting together with those of like mindedness. By joining together mid-week, we are given an opportunity to leave the trials and burdens of the world and offer as well as receive support from our Christian brothers and sisters. When I was isolated for some time due to my transplant and therefore missed worship services, I could tell a difference in my outlook in general. Being separated from my Christian family was detrimental to my mental and spiritual health because I could not tap into God’s resource of unity and fellowship. This passage explains how important it is to remain linked to one another: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25
2. Remember the shut-ins who are unable to attend services. There are many who are unable to attend services due to physical illness. The longer a member feels separated from her church family, the more difficult it may be for her to remain faithful to the Lord. We can be instruments of the Lord by reaching out to these members and ensuring that they receive copies of the lessons and sermons as well as phone calls and cards to let them know they are still a vital part of our family.
3. Pray for God’s help to overcome our anxiety and keep our priorities in mind. God wants us to hand over our troubles to Him because His shoulders are broader and His patience is greater. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
4. Keep in touch with one another outside of services and seek to lift each other up by kind words, cards and prayers. The only way to really know what a sister needs is to get to know her personally outside of services. Have lunch together or invite the girls over for an informal “get-together”. A wise man once said that “an anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” Proverbs 12:25
My prayers are that you will receive the encouragement you need this week and that we are able to lift others up with the love given to us by Christ. May today be changed from “Blah” Day to “Blessed” Day!
