Another Day

When I worked in the grocery business I’d greet coworkers often with “How are you today?”  A common reply I received was “Oh you know, another day, another dollar.”  I never knew quite how to respond to that catchphrase.  Another day, another dollar.  It’s pretty pessimistic when you think about it.  The language implies that there is nothing special or noteworthy about this day and that the day’s work is simply a means to an end, namely, a paycheck.  I confess there are days when that feeling gripped me as well.  Aren’t there days that we all go to work with the near naked motivation of making money, of making ends meet?  Some days (or nights) we go to work because, well, we must.  We have bills to pay, families to provide for, or a certain standard of living that we must support.  Another day, another dollar.  It’s a sad perspective, but sometimes all too true of the way we feel.  It’s not that working to provide for a family is a bad thing; it’s good, and sometimes the very motivation we need.  But is there more to work that providing for others?  Is there more to the day than getting the job done?

The scriptures offer us another way to greet each day, another way to enter a day’s work, an altogether different perspective on life and work.  The psalmist gladly exclaims, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).  Of which day does he speak?  This celebratory statement applies to any day and every day.  Each day is a gift from God, an occasion for joy and gladness.  But so often my first emotion and expression upon waking isn’t gladness but gloom, not rejoicing but resignation.  Another day, and I’m tired or bored or anxious or all of the above and I just want to go back to bed, in the safety of my sheets.

A common prayer in the church for many centuries goes something like this: “O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun.”  What if these were the first words from our lips, followed by the psalmist’s: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”?  Can we greet the dawn with gratitude and still be honest with our feelings of weariness, frustration, pain, or fear?  Perhaps it is possible.  Faith doesn’t deny our emotions, but it also doesn’t let them determine our perspective.  (Go ahead and reread that last sentence a couple times).

And there’s more.  In the next verse the psalmist moves from praise to petition: “Save us, we pray, O Lord!  O Lord, we pray, give us success!” (Psalm 118:25).  We praise God for the gift of life in this new day (v 24) then petition God for salvation and success in the work of this day (v 25).  This prayer makes some important acknowledgments.  First, this day is a gift from God.  I cannot achieve it, but only receive it.  If I try to achieve my life this day I will constantly complain, but if I receive it as a gift, I will be ready to give thanks.  Secondly, this day is an opportunity to serve God.  I can see signs of his salvation and receive his grace for work that pleases and glorifies him.  Far more than being another tiresome day to earn my keep, it is a gracious gift, a fresh opportunity to give myself fully to the work of the Lord in whatever my hand finds to do.

So give it a try.  Thank God for the day.  Ask him for his saving grace to guide you into work that builds for his kingdom: wherever you are, whomever you’re with, and whatever you’re doing.  Perhaps then, your reply to the common greeting, “How are you today?” will be punctuated by gratitude and brimming with praise: “I’m happy because this day is a precious, divine gift, and I’m making the most of it!”  Imagine the reaction that would occasion in the person who greeted you.  Imagine the difference that perspective would make in you each day.

Another day…thank God!