I’m not sure who coined this phrase, though it sounds like something Spurgeon would have said.  I do know that there is great truth and a little irony in it.

Simply put, pastors and preachers and ministers work all week long to serve and shepherd their flock, and the whole week they prepare for and anticipate Sunday.  As a pastor and minister, I can relate to this feeling; reading and praying and studying for the message, trying to hear from God, ready to deliver a fresh word all the while serving your wife and family and trying to maintain spiritual and physical health and hoping that when you lay your head on the pillow, you can go to sleep.  Or in my case, praying that once you fall asleep, you will stay asleep.

The weekend can come on like a hurricane.  The energy it requires to deal with and pastor people, put out fires, patiently pray and lead the hurting and confused in your church…is simply enormous.  And the mental and spiritual focus demanded of us to stand on that stage and deliver the word God gave us is difficult to say the least.  Adrenaline levels soar.  Then they deplete.  It’s like the ocean’s tide, coming in and going out.  Preachers are often left feeling spent, fatigued, and hungover on Mondays.

So the old saying goes…”Every preacher quits on Monday.”  Oversimplification?  Perhaps.  But I know I have experienced this countless times.  I will continue to, and you will too, at times.  Just remember that if you are spent and worn out and depleted on Monday, you are not thinking straight, and if you do quit on Monday, it’s ok.  God understands.  He knows that some rest, prayer, worship, and another good night’s sleep will get you back to normal by Tuesday.  Ok, maybe Wednesday.

Your job will still be there when you decide you really didn’t want to quit after all.