“You’ve got to accentuate the positive, Eliminate the negative, Latch on to the affirmative, don’t mess with Mister In-Between. You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum, Bring gloom down to the minimum, Have faith or pandemonium’s liable to walk upon the scene…”

That wasn’t a hymns of the church, yet it certainly wouldn’t hurt for it to be popular again. The world that Jesus came into was just as negative as our society can be. Among the worst were some of the religious leaders. They seemed to believe that they were the hands of God who were called to slap the hands of others and say, “No, no!”

A beautiful songbird lost its song because it cage was kept near some other birds that just chattered all the time. It soon became a chattering bird. Too much exposure to naysayers and negative people can be dangerous to our happy soul.

Jesus brought the song back to the world; we can either sing it or be silent. He gave joy like rain; we can dance in it, or get an umbrella. He gave Peace like a warm sunny day; we can soak it up, or put on sunblock.

If we are going to have a happy attitude, then we must be intentional about it. Sure we are exposed to negativity every day and some of it is going to rub off on us. I remember hearing Billy Graham say, “You can’t help it that birds fly over your head, but you don’t have to let them build a nest in your hair.”

We all need time with positive and encouraging people. Every Christian should be that kind of person. That is the very example that Christ gave us. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…” Philippians 2:5.

“You ask me why my heart keeps singing
Why I can sing when things go wrong.
But since I’ve found the source of music
I just can’t help it. God gave the song.”