The cartoon hangs in one of my favorite pizza shops. As I pay for my pizza or hoagies, I can’t help but chuckle. Each week, we ride a wild roller coaster of emotions related to our workplaces. And honestly, who among us doesn’t live for the weekend?

But WHAT IF that could be different? Consider these possibilities:

• What if you gained a renewed attitude and learned to bring meaning to your tasks and appointments, instead of striving to find meaning in your daily work?[1]
• What if this renewed outlook, bringing meaning to your work, could be found in the wondrous reality that we each reflect God’s image? After all, we are God’s co-creators and coworkers, vital leaders and culture makers in the rhythm of our daily tasks (Genesis 1:27-31). (I too quickly forget this, making everything seem way too mundane!)
• What if we could discover fresh passion, deeply entrusting the work of our hands to God’s blessings and favor, doing our very best for his glory, and ultimately trusting him for productive outcomes (Psalm 90:16-17 & John 15:4-5)?
• What if your work-time outlook was infused with the fresh realization that you are daily serving Christ in whatever you do? As a result, you can work at it heartily (Colossians 3:23-24).
• What if you discover a renewed joy in your calling and gifting? In his winsome book, Loving Monday, John D. Beckett asserts:

“We can be called to the arts, to athletics, to government service or to business. If it is God’s call, it is a legitimate and high calling. In other words, you can be an ‘ordained’ plumber! People called to business have many opportunities for service unavailable to those who are specifically focused on ministry vocations.”[2]

What if we were to uncover the start of renewed passion and childlike joy? We might just start loving the opportunities we encounter every Monday through Friday!

For further exploration of how you can better navigate your own emotions about your workweek, check out my new book, co-authored with my mother, Holly Hall-Pletcher. EmotiConversations: Working through Our Deepest Places. It’s available at wipfandstock.com, amazon.com, and other favorite booksellers.

[1]Bonnie Wurzbacher, as quoted by Christian Overman in God’s Pleasure at Work: Bridging the Sacred-Secular Divide, p. 16.

[2]John D. Beckett. Loving Monday: Succeeding in Business Without Selling Your Soul, p. 96.