Rough Day?

Wow. I’d have to say today was rough. No, I wasn’t fired, no, I didn’t catch all red lights, and no, I didn’t have trouble finding a parking spot. I didn’t say today was rough as if to imply that the world owes me something, because truthfully speaking I deserve nothing I have, and anything I may have has been given to me by God. I didn’t say today was rough because plans didn’t go as anticipated, though, it didn’t go as anticipated. I also didn’t say today was rough because I may have been embarrassed, though I was a little.

When I think about it, I can be thankful for my job, a car so that I can have the occasional red light to complain about, the multitude of parking spots even if they are far away from where I have to go; I can be thankful for the blessings of God in my life that I do not deserve, I can be thankful that though my plans didn’t go as anticipated, there’s always a “Plan B” that ends up better than “Plan A”, and I can thank God that when I am embarrassed for whatever reason, I am learning how to be humbled and that I’m able to write about it, despite what anyone may think of me.

Ha, today was still rough.

I would love to tell you that I remain thankful throughout the day, everyday, but the truth is I fall way short. I don’t even think I hit the lowest mark on the scale. I mean, how can I think about being thankful when everything is just going wrong! How do I find the ‘ray of light’ in a dark place? How do I get to the other side of the wall if my back’s against it?

Today was just rough.

Why was today rough? Well, how was your day? So so? Good? Great? Well, I’ve realized that everyday is a good day, and when those days come when I might not think so, it’s usually because I have too much focus on myself.

So, do you have an idea about why today was just rough? Well, simply because my focus was on ‘me’.

Circumstances are never perfect, but that’s only because our definition of ‘perfect’ is ‘my personal pleasure’. How good is my life? What am I going to eat for dinner? What kind of car must I drive? How do I get rich? This has become our focus. This is our pleasure. So, because our circumstances don’t always give us these ‘pleasures’, we say what I’ve been saying all day: “Today was rough.”

Today was rough for me because I made a decision to focus on my needs and how ‘I’ was going to satisfy them. When I failed today I wasn’t shouting, “Every day is a good day!” I wanted to shout a few other things, but then I’d be writing another blog entry after this one. But my point here is that I’m going to continue to have “rough days” until I change my definition of ‘perfect’ or better yet, what gives me pleasure.

I understand that I need things in life to live, so it would be foolish to think that food isn’t important, or clothes or making money to live. However, Jesus said it Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to us.” Righteousness simply means ‘right alignment’ so if my definition of ‘perfect’ isn’t in right alignment with Jesus’ definition of ‘perfect’, then I have the wrong focus in life. No matter how good a thing may be, if my primary focus is my job, school, money, even another person [ because Matthew 10:37 says, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.” That is, father, mother, sister, brother, wife, husband…you get the point.] my focus inst Jesus’ focus.

So what was Jesus’ focus if it wasn’t personal pleasure? Well, He made it pretty clear for us in John 17:23:

“I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the
world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved
Me.”

Jesus’ focus here was relationship, love and unity, all for the glory of God, that the world may know He loves them. Our circumstances can be perfect as long as ‘perfect’ means bringing glory to God. If we make our focus relationship with Him, love for people and unity against evil, then our circumstances will mean very little to us apart from bringing Glory to God. Make the decision to bring glory to God; He promises to add everything else to us.

Oh, if you have a question, you can email me at quincyrolle@gmail.com.