The most depressing day of the year falls on... a Monday. No wonder! Today, the dreaded shadow of Blue Monday looms over us like a Groundhog that has just seen his shadow and knows six more weeks of cold, dreary winter is still ahead.
This year has already held more calamity following almost a full year of unease and devastation. The bitterness of a cold, dark winter, mixed with the depletion of funds following a potentially indulgent Christmas, the winding down of excitedly set New Year’s resolutions that have already fallen flat, and of course, Lockdown 3.0. At least we have one full day dedicated to the ongoing sadness without feeling bad about it, right? But what if this year, we forgo the norm of ‘Blue Monday’, and redefine the third Monday of January; associating it with God’s tranquility.
Colossians 3:2 (ESV) reminds us, “set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Today, challenge yourself to bask in the tranquility of Christ and find peace in knowing our saviour died on the cross for us. He voluntarily endured a copious amount of pain in order to secure our future and eternity through Him, in Heaven, with our Creator.
Instead of allowing ourselves to sink into the sadness the world tells us we should align with, this Blue Monday, praise God for the abundance He has blessed you with. Each item, memory, person in your life, and experience. This doesn’t deny the suffering and disappointment we see around us, but there are also many things going well. For example, in recent months we have seen a government voting against free school meals for children during the half term but then a footballer taking it upon himself to make a stand for those who would otherwise lose out. Let’s take the time to identify those things instead, these things that demonstrate how this dreaded virus has provided opportunities for us to come together as a community to tend to our neighbours as Christ did and still does for us.
Blue Monday is but another day for us to lean into The Lord’s peaceful nature. Allow Him to reveal Himself to you as he did the Israelites [when] “they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness”. Exodus 24:10.
In this scripture, God used the shade of blue to associate it with Himself instead of depression. He painted a picture of the richness gems reflect. Toss out the viewing of this colour and day and welcome with open arms the God that brought Israel out of slavery and into the promise land, who is preparing your eternal home beside Him, in Heaven.
Our God waits patiently and calmly for you to complete the tasks He has authored for your life. Choose to deny the world and set your mind instead on Godly thoughts, ideas, and things to follow Him.
Here is a scripture we can use to remind ourselves to persevere:
“Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God”.
Numbers 15:38-40 (ESV)
Read more from Macaila Britton at MacailaBritton.com
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