Avoiding the Sunday Morning Meltdown
Have you got seven minutes to spare between now and Sunday?  I hope you can carve out the time to watch the following video and then read my remarks afterwards.  I promise that it will be seven minutes well invested!  Watch the video, then return to read my comments.
We all have experienced what a friend of mine has referred to (jokingly) as “Sunday morning pychosis.” ¬†Sometimes the hour before coming to church is the most hectic and carnal hour of our week. ¬†As James says, “My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (3:10b).
In dealing with this problem, we have to realize that ultimately it is a matter of the heart. ¬†Hectic schedules, uncooperative kids, and unironed shirts do not “make” us react the way we do; they simply draw out the sin that already resides within our hearts (Matt. 15:18-20). ¬†So we need first of all to repent of our ungodly attitudes, behavior, and words.
But having repented, what can we do to remedy the situation? ¬†The answer lies in Romans 13:14: ¬†”But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” ¬†For the sake of applying this verse, each of us should ask, “What can I do to honor the Lord Jesus and promote a spirit of worship in my heart, especially as I prepare to worship Him publicly with His people?”
With this in mind, I would like to offer five suggestions to help you get “READY” for worship. ¬†As you can see, these are presented in the form of an acrostic to help you remember them:
Retire early. ¬†Don’t stay up late on Saturday night if you can avoid it. ¬†Get a good night’s rest so that you awake refreshed on the Lord’s Day.
End the day with scriptural meditation and prayer.  As we sleep, our  mind tends to mull over the last things we thought about before going to bed.  So what better way to end the day than to meditate on Scripture and commune with the Lord in prayer?
Arise early. ¬†Figure out how much time you’ll need to get ready for church, then add an additional thirty minutes as a buffer. ¬†Having gone to bed at a decent time, it shouldn’t be difficult to get up at a decent hour to prepare your body, soul and spirit for worship.
Delight yourself in the Lord.  Turn on some good Christian music that will help to cultivate Godward thoughts and a spirit of joy in your soul.  Sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord!
Yearn to be a blessing to others. ¬†Begin with your own family members as you get ready to go to church. ¬†Serve one another in love. ¬†Come to church in the same spirit, desiring to build up the body of Christ and to be a blessing to as many people as possible (including people you haven’t met or don’t recognize).
May the Lord impress these things upon our hearts and help us put them into practice as we seek to worship Him in spirit and in truth!
2 Responses to “Avoiding the Sunday Morning Meltdown”
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I think it was so quiet, we could hear a pin drop on this one, Pastor Matt. It’s a very appropriate message for these times.
The question that goes through my head is “Why Sunday?” I get ready to go to work five days a week, why is getting to go to church so much different? During the work week, I rarely have the clothes crises, the alarm clock malfunctions, the hair disasters and the personal issues that occur on Sunday morning.
Satan. He’ll mess things up where he can to keep people from going to church.
Desire. Work is compulsory whereas church is optional.
Expectation. I have higher expectations on how I present myself at church. It’s fussier.
Risk. The social risk at church is greater.
Satisfaction. I get a sense of closure and a job well done at work, but at church not so much.
Conviction. At church, I am confronted with at least one and more likely enumerable things wrong with me at every level of my being, but at work not so much.