A biblical cure for discouragement...
I remember an old Bing Crosby song my mom used to sing called "Accentuate the Positive."
Its lyrics encouraged a positive perspective on life, and they remind me of an even better lyric from Philippians:
"Rejoice in the Lord always ... in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things ... And the God of peace will be with you..." Philippians 4:4-9
Christ promises a perfect eternity filled with joy beyond our imagination.
This allows us to "accentuate" the positive no matter how hard our circumstances.
Here are some ideas that can help us focus on good things even when we're in the midst of uncertainty and difficulty:
1. Pull out the picture albums and thank God for all the good things in your childhood.
2. Keep a Happiness Diary and don't miss a day!
3. "Gather" Stones of Remembrance.
4. Write a note of thanks to people who have helped you grow in the Lord.
5. Focus on helping others, a great way to Beat the Blues.
6. Do a Philippians 4:8 Detox.
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If you want to hear Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters sing this song: Accentuate the Positive. I actually prefer Ella Fitzgerald's version Here.
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Loved your beautiful singing!
ReplyDeleteYou're sweet, Alecia, but I know singing is not my gift : )
DeleteMy son is a music minister at his church, and he has the musical ability in our family.
I'll stick to writing : )
Note: When I originally posted this devotion, I had an audio of it.
DeleteGail, I love that you sang this... And now, I'll be singing it all day! :)
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you ~ Mary
Such an uplifting post - thank you!
ReplyDeleteA must needed post for today. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteGail I am all for filling our minds with the positive. It doesn't make Christian naive, it just lets us take every thought captive for Christ. Good stuff in to my heart, good stuff out! Starting with God's word.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this wonderful post! I needed this to today! <3
ReplyDeleteNow I've got this song in my head but that's o.k. It's a fun one and a great message! Thanks for linking up to the "Making Your Home Sing Monday" linky party today! :)
ReplyDeletethis was right on. I need to wake up to that song every day. So many of my struggles would be squashed if I'd just DO THAT
ReplyDelete