If you’ve had a particular weekend, you might be tempted to despise today. The New Wave/Post-Punk group, The Bangles, made it official and ‘ok’ to give Monday’s a bad rap with the 1980’s hit, “Manic Monday.” Admittedly, it’s taken me years to see Monday just like I see any other day; one where I have an opportunity to do better than I did the day before.

Have you ever stopped to consider that we deem a day as such (calling it ‘whatever’) because of where we fell short on this particular day, regardless if it’s your own judgment, your boss’s, or a total stranger? You know, the anonymous driver in traffic who cut you off and now you have to sit at the light, making it even harder for you to continue your day? Yeah, that guy, and you think to yourself, ‘uggggh, I just hate people like that AND it always happens on Monday’s!!!’ My friend, I submit to you, you’ve given too many things too much power already – and it’s just Monday morning.

As you go about your day today, know that this is just no ordinary Monday, tomorrow won’t just be a regular Tuesday, and so on and so on. Each day is about choices we make, good, bad, indifferent. They all matter and they all make a huge impact that we don’t always readily see. I’m not telling you to ‘fake it ’til you make it,’ but I am telling you to not dish out power to whom or where it doesn’t belong. Response is key to this Monday and the next. To borrow a few of the lyrics from Kirk Franklin, “know that God is working…{and} smile.”

READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Psalm 118:24

LISTEN: “I Smile,” by Kirk Franklin https://youtu.be/Z8SPwT3nQZ8