the morning after (part 1)

For both of us, Monday is our Sabbath. Doug has modeled this for years, and I (Matt) have managed to practice the same discipline.

Monday is the one day of the week we’re sure to leave reserved for family and rest after a busy and people-filled Monday. We never schedule youth ministry events, programs, or meetings on Mondays. Monday is a refuge from the demands of ministry.

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Help your students discover who God made them to be with
The Way I'm Wired DVD Curriculum.
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However, during this time “away”, as much as we wish it was all about rest, destructive voices can rise from “within” as we can quickly become our own worst critics. Perhaps this is similar to something you have experienced:

THE CRITICAL VOICE
Hindsight isn’t just 20/20, it’s more like x-ray vision that exposes each and every flaw. The critical voice examines everything and eviscerates to the core. Since Sunday is usually a day full of ministry, Monday can be the day when the inner voice is the loudest.
• “I could have said that better.”
• “I shouldn’t have made that joke.”
• “I wasted too much time telling that story.”
• “I didn’t have a clear ending.”
• “I never really connected with the crowd.”
• “I can’t believe I didn’t even say hi to her.”
• “I wonder if that parent took my comment the wrong way?”

The critical voice can be so loud and strong that it can drown out affirmation and encouragement. Self-criticism isn’t all bad, without it we would never improve. The ability to accurately evaluate and judge our impact can show us new avenues for growth.

But do we really need to grow on Mondays? :)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Help your students discover who God made them to be with
The Way I'm Wired DVD Curriculum.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Maybe. Probably. But one thing is certain: beating ourselves up isn’t productive.

At some point, the downward spiral into despair is usually challenged by a voice of reason: “WAIT, there was plenty of good things that happened yesterday!”

The enemy is subtle and our hearts are divided, so it’s not long until that voice is also subverted into something else that’s equally as destructive as the critical voice. We’ll talk more about this second voice tomorrow.

[If you’d like to see one example of how we spend a day off, check out Doug’s blog]