Monday Morning Heart Attacks
Statistically, there are more heart attacks on Monday morning than any other time in the week.
I’m sure you don’t have to hear that statistic to know the truth behind it; we’ve all tasted it.
Monday morning can be a treacherous outcropping with merciless waves of overwhelming responsibility, pressure and stress crashing in hard; along with the insidious temptations to “just get our act together” and “make life work” for us and everyone depending on us.
In other words, the messages are these:
“You are alone,
it’s up to you,
and you better not blow it.”
The pressure of a Monday morning make us vulnerable to the lie that we are alone and its up to us.
Sadly, for many people, the only answer for how to “make life work” is self-sufficiency and self-mastery. But this answer just makes us a slave to a constant fear of rejection, humiliation and blowing it.
And the emotional reality for the slave is fear, intimidation and bondage.
It doesn’t have to be your story.
There is another path.
A life that is lived “with God”.
A life where we increasingly discover how Jesus does things.
A life where Jesus invites us to join him in what he is doing.
A life where we just enjoy Him.
A life where Jesus changes how we raise our children, do our work, or drive our cars.
When we are aware of God’s presence and point of view, there is profound peace as we live that moment. There is sense that God is working everything together in a good way even when we are not sure how. We sense that God is not worried so why should we be troubled?
Such a life is not only possible, but also desirable. As we learn to live this way, we don’t feel so alone in facing the challenges of life.
May this coming Monday be a reminder to take every moment we have and surrender it to life with God. Because like the Elizabeth Barrett Browning says: "Earth is crammed with heaven and every common bush afire with God. But only he who sees takes off his shoes”.
God is the companion of our life.
In this “with-God life,” we spend our days Enjoying the Presence of God. It’s a good thing. It’s a safe thing.
Without it, we are only half-alive.