Imperfect but Abiding

I think it’s important that I tell anybody who’s regularly reading this that I’m not always Polly-Positive-Attitude. Most of the time, I try pretty hard to “keep rolling,” as I say, but I would be lying if I told you I always do it with a smile on my face. 

Sometimes I “keep rolling” while I scream nonsense at nobody in particular and kick random objects along the way. I know that’s not the attitude I’m supposed to take, but it’s definitely the one I have on some occasions. 

Regardless of whether my attitude is positive or not, one set of verses that’s never far from my thoughts is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. It’s the only passage I really remember resonating with me as a kid, and despite the winding path I took to find my way back to life as a believer, I’ve kept it close. 

While that passage doesn’t provide an excuse for me to have a bad attitude, I do think it validates my feelings. There is an appointed time for everything, and it’s important to know that our struggles also aren’t misunderstood. We know from Scripture that Christ has been in our shoes: 

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭15 (‭NASB)

The difference between our suffering and His is that He did it perfectly. That doesn’t mean He didn’t suffer; rather it means He kept His heart and eyes focused in the right place. We can work toward doing better, but we are incapable of doing it perfectly. That’s why God had to send His son: if we could have done it ourselves, there would have been no need. 

So yes, my attitude is straight out of the garbage some days. Thankfully, one of the passages I mentioned before contained instructions for what I can do to help remedy my frame of mind: 

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭(NASB)

He sees me in my struggle. He sees me in my bad times. Most importantly, though, keeping my mind on Him during the hard times is the best cure, and for that, I could not be more grateful.