Learn To Be Happy

The Old Testament hero David is one of my favorite characters in the Bible, but David wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes, he became discour¬aged, but he prayed, “God, renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.” You may need to pray something similar. “God, please help me get rid of this negative attitude. Help me get rid of this self-pity. Help me not give up. God, renew a right spirit in me.”

Friend, life is too short to trudge through it depressed and defeated. No matter what has come against you or what is causing you to slip and fall, no matter who or what is trying to push you down, you need to keep getting up on the inside. If you want to give your enemy a nervous breakdown, learn to keep a good attitude even when the bottom falls out! Learn to be happy even when things don’t go your way.

When many people face adversity, they allow their doubts to cloud their determination, thus weakening their faith. They don’t persevere; they don’t keep a good attitude. Ironically, because their spirits are not right, they remain in bad situations longer than necessary. Medical science tells us that people with a determined, feisty spirit usually get well quicker than people who are prone to be negative and discouraged. That’s because God made us to be determined. We are not created to live in depression and defeat. A negative spirit dries up your energy; it weakens your immune system. Many people are living with physical ailments or emotional bondage because they are not standing up on the inside.

The Bible tells us that many of the saints of old died in faith. But you can die in faith only if you live a faith-filled life. When it’s my time to go, I want to spend my last day here on this earth full of joy, full of faith, and full of victory. I’ve made up my mind that I’m going to live my best life now, and when my days are done, I’m going to die stand¬ing up on the inside.

You need to make a decision to do the same thing. Get rid of the mind-set that’s saying you can’t do it; you can’t be happy; you have too much to overcome. Those are all lies from the enemy. You can be happy if you want to be. You can stand strong if you have a determined spirit. You can do whatever you need to do. When you face adversity, remind yourself, “I am full of God’s can-do power. I can overcome. I can live in victory. I can stand up on the inside.” Learn to tap into the can-do power that God has placed inside you, rather than rolling over in the face of adversity.