By Sharayah Colter
Nov. 19, 2023
Have you heard the quip “whoever wrote the song lyrics ‘easy on a Sunday morning’ must not have been trying to get a family to church”? Most families can probably relate to the idea that Sunday mornings have the potential to be tumultuous, and why wouldn’t Satan like to derail you on your way to church? If you’ve already decided to go to church, the next best thing he can do is make getting there awful enough that when you arrive in the parking lot, no one is happy and everyone enters church wearing a fake smile despite how flustered and frustrated they feel inside.
Remember: the spiritual realm is active, and though disruptions and discord on the way to church may feel merely temporal and practical, they are influenced by the spiritual battle Scripture tells us is constantly raging (Eph. 6:12, 2 Cor. 10:3-5).
Consider these six ways to combat Sunday morning frustrations:
- Prepare the night before: Lay out clothes, shoes, car keys, Bibles, breakfast dishes — anything you can get ready Saturday night rather than Sunday morning, do. (Prov. 6:6-8, Prov. 21:5)
- Spend time in prayer and Scripture reading before the day begins: The importance of time with God before beginning the day — especially the Lord’s Day — cannot be overstated. (Ps. 63:1, Mark 1:35)
- Recognize that Satan wants to and will try to derail your morning commute to church. Decide ahead of time not to give him a victory or a foothold. When something begins to veer toward frustration, pause, note it as an unwelcome interference from the devil, and chose a path of peace and patience. (John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8, Eph. 4:27)
- Remember that your family is not the enemy: Make a point to speak kindly to one another, to help each other like teammates, and to fight as a unit against letting the morning drive to church be filled with unrest. (Rom. 12:18)
- Leave the house 15 minutes before you think you should: Many frustrations arise from feeling the stress of almost being late and being unorganized. Guard against that by being early, being organized, and asking God to make your way to church prosperous and peaceful. (1 Cor. 14:33, Phil. 4:6, Isaiah 26:3)
- Worship on the way: Turn on praise music in your home and in your car to begin the day in worship before you ever arrive at church. (Col. 3:2, Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:14-16)
